Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Muslims Show Solidarity With Catholics in France; Flooding in China, Baltimore; Olympic Organizers Confident Rio 2016 Will Help Remake City; U.S.-Backed Rebels Making Gains in Manjib, Syria; Aleppo Residents Skeptical of Russian Humanitarian Corridors; Pope Francis Ends Trip to Krakow, Chooses Panama for Next World Youth Day. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired July 31, 2016 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:19] LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Escaping death and destruction, dozens of families
flee Aleppo as a potential humanitarian crisis looms.
Syria and Russia say they will establish more ways out of the besieged city. Also ahead...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF MARINE KILLED IN IRAQ: He had to take that shot at her. This is height of ignorance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN speaks to the father of a fallen U.S. Muslim soldier. He talks about the controversy involving his family and Donald Trump.
And a fire brigade colonel is in charge of aquatic search and rescue and says he has a thousand life guards on the ready. An exclusive look into a
search and rescue drill in Rio. We're just five days away from the start of the Olympic games.
Hello. I'm Lynda Kinkade sitting in for Becky Anderson.
We start in Syria with news from the northern battlefields. U.S.-backed fighters are making gains against ISIS in Manbij. The Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights says the alliance has recaptured about 40 percent of the city.
Meanwhile, some civilians are leaving the besieged city of Aleppo through three humanitarian corridors set up by Russia and Syria. Russian state
media now say that four more corridors will be opened.
There's skepticism, though, in many quarters about about Russian and Syrian plans.
Ian Lee is in Beirut. Ian, the United Nations believes about 300,000 people are in Aleppo. But so far, we're only seeing a trickle leave.
IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Lynda. And we're seeing that on Syrian state TV. We're hearing this from a Russian
media as well saying that 169 civilians have left the besieged parts of Aleppo, including 69 rebel fighters. These fighters, according to Syrian
state media will be granted amnesty. There's a three-month window there that fighters can lay down their weapons and surrender over to government
forces.
The Russians also saying they have roughly 14 tons of humanitarian aid ready to greet the people who make it on the other side.
Now, that being said, we're talking to people inside the city, sources are telling us that they've been to these humanitarian corridors. They haven't
seen anyone go through them. Also, they , hadn't haven't seen any signs or evidence that people have been using them. Those sources in Aleppo say
that people would be reluctant to go over to the other side, because of what has happened in the past. And that is according to the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, that men and women have been separated and the men have disappeared.
So while we are hearing about this humanitarian corridor. There's a lot of skepticism in Aleppo.
KINKADE: Yeah, no doubt. Russia, of course, we're hearing may open up another four corridors. As you point out, the trust issues, Amnesty
International saying some civilians don't trust the regime or the Russians.
LEE: That's right. And, you know, it goes back You do have those people who have gone over before, and you do have those people being separated.
And just talking to our sources inside Aleppo, what people are telling us is that after the years of the wars, they say they just can't trust the
regime anyways. So, there's -- they don't -- feel like if they do go over, that they will be treated well.
Now, the UN has said that they want to be the ones that operate these corridors during a cease-fire between both sides for 48 hours to get that
humanitarian aid in. But so far, we haven't heard either from the Syrian regime, the Russians or the rebels about this cease-fire.
KINKADE: And Ian, just paint a picture for us of the conditions that face those that remain in the city.
LEE: Lynda, it is quite dire there. Talking to people, they say that when you go to a market, you're not seeing anything on the shelves -- there's no
fruit, no vegetables, no bread, no food products. Then doctors are complaining about a lack of medicine, also lack of medical supplies.
One-time use items like syringes are being sterilized and reused, because they just don't have them. And during normal times before this siege
began, it was difficult to get supplies in, but they could. But now it's almost impossible to get that. So, these supplies are dwindling.
Also, they're lacking on fuel. Ambulances are running very low. They're basically running on the last few tanks that they have to get people to
hospital. Also diesel fuel for generators that power the hospitals, that also is running out.
So, quite dire from what we're hearing from medical personnel who also say that most people in this besieged area suffer from malnutrition -- Lynda.
[11:05:36] KINKADE: OK. Ian Lee, we'll have to leave it there for now. Thanks so much for that update.
Well, Germany's constitutional court has banned a video address by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan citing security concerns. It was
scheduled to air at a rally today in Cologne where thousands have turned out in the city to show their support for the Turkish president following a
failed coup earlier this month.
Germany is home, of course, to about 3 million Turks. Our Frederick Pleitgen is covering those rallies for us and joins us now live.
Quite a scene there behind you. How many people, do you think, have turned out in support of Erdogan? And what do they hope to achieve?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Lynda. Yeah, there's 30,000 people I would say here. The people here expecting about
30,000.
As you can see, they're here despite torrential downpours that are happening in Cologne -- in fact, one that's going on right now, as you can
probably see.
The message that they're trying to send is that they say that they want support for Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They say they're coming out in support
of Turkish government of Recept Tayyip Erdogan and against the coup.
Now, these are some of signs that the crowd is holding up here. It says Yes to democracy, no to the coup. That why they say they're out here.
At the same time, many of them also say that they're quite disappointed in the reaction you've seen from Germany, some of the criticism that has come
from German politicians towards Turkey in the aftermath -- (inaudible) some of the purges that have been going on in the military, also in the
education sector as well has drawn from criticism from German politicians. And that's something that the Turks here say they won't accept.
Now, it's interesting, because at the entrance point to this rally they were handing out Turkish
flags and German flags signaling they want support from Germany, that they want the two sides to basically be closer together.
But there is a great deal of criticism (inaudible) when you listen to some of the people, they are quite critical of the European Union, but of
Germany (inaudible) certainly the police here were quite concerned about security around this rally. so, they have some 3,000 personnel on the
streets today -- Lynda.
KINKADE: It's certainly a very loud rally there. We are struggling a little bit to hear. Frederik Pleitgen, thanks for covering that for us,
and try to stay dry. I will talk to you soon.
Well, now for some other stories on our radar. In Iraq, a hostage situation is over after an attackon an oil field near Kirkuk. The security
force tells CNN all four captives were freed and all four assailants were killed. ISIS has claimed responsibility for that attack.
Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for this morning's attack on a police base in Somalia's capital Mogadishu. Two car bombs detonated outside
before gunmen stormed the building. Five civilians and one police officer were killed. Police say all five of the militants died in that attack.
Tunisia's prime minister will be replaced after overwhelmingly losing a vote of no confidence. 118 members of parliament voted to unseat Habib
Essid. Only three voted in his favor and the rest abstained. Mr. Essid has faced growing economic and security problems during his 18 months in
office.
Well, heavy rains in parts of Asia are causing casualties and mass evacuations. In the Indian city of Mumbai, at least nine people died when
a building collapsed. 17 people were already reportedly killed in floods in Assam State in northern eastern India. And about 50,000 people have
been evacuated in the south and east of the country, flooding triggering heavy rain is also hitting parts
of China. More than 60,000 people in Tibet were effected.
And there are more weather woes on the horizon for China. Alison Chinchar joins us now at our desk, which is good to see.
Now China, this typhoon expected to make land fall there in the coming days.
ALISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, likely between Monday and Tuesday when we can kind of pinpoint the timing.
But they'll likely start to see some impacts, even earlier some of this early rain bands even as early as, say late Sunday into early Monday. So,
again, something we'll have to keep an eye on.
But it's the Philippines right now that are really starting to see the big impact of that particular storm.
So, let's kind of take a closer look at what we have going on here. And you can see Typhoon Nida, again, right now winds about 120 kilometers per
hour just now finally starting to cross over onto the western edge of the island of Luzon. It's moving west-northwest about 24 kilometers per hour.
Take a look at some of the rainfall amounts that have already fallen in the Philippines. And keep in mind, it's still raining in many locations.
Already, at least a dozen picking up over 100 millimeters of rain, several, at least 200 millimeters of rain.
Now, the track will, again, continue to take it all the way up towards China. Likely landfall will be between 24 and 36 hours from now making its
way towards Hong Kong.
Now, the good news it does weaken once it finally makes landfall. And it will do so quickly.
But, again, the concern is going to be the wave heights and also the torrential rain that will end up coming out of this.
Here is a look at that forecast radar. Again, notice, it looks like it will slide ever so slightly to the west of downtown Hong Kong. Now, here
is a look at the forecast accumulations. And even though the landfall may be a little bit off, certainly all of Hong Kong is going to pick up very
heavy rain, anywhere from 100 to 250 millimeters of rain, and likely some more as we go through the days after it.
But even The Philippines -- again, note, there is still going to be some very heavy rainfall that lands in the Philippines before the system finally
makes its way out.
Forecast wave heights, we will pick up some pretty significant ones on the southern edge of Taiwan. And then gradually over towards China. We're
talking some of these wave heights, 9 to 12 meters in height during the peak of this storm. So, again, keep that in mind.
Here we can see once it finally makes landfall they do subside rather quickly. And that is some good news.
We're also keeping an eye on that storm that hit Baltimore, Maryland, just outside the city in the United States. Take a look at this, all of the
water that is surrounding a lot of these cars, many streets turned into raging rivers. You literally had cars playing bumper cars, bumping into
one of another, flowing down some of these streets. And also some structures were damaged from the incredibly heavy flow of the water into
this area.
Now, we take a look at how much rain they had in the last 48 hours. Now, you see the numbers, likely between 100 to 150 millimeters. But keep in
mind, for some of these areas, they picked up all of that rain in six hours of less. Again, imagine, 150 millimeters of rain in just six hours. It
makes sense as to why they had so many flooding problems.
But the other issue is going forward because another system is going to make its way towards that area again today, and not just for Washington,
D.C., we're also talking New York City as well where they have some flash flood watches out in effect.
Here's a look at the system. Again, target, again, this afternoon and into the evening hours, yet again going to be dealing with that next round and
that's the last thing they need to see, Lynda, on top of already the flooding that they've had. Because when you have 150 millimeters, then
possibly getting another 100 on top of that, not only does that hinder the cleanup process, but then you have more flooding on top, so certainly
something we'll be watching in the coming day.
KINKADE: Certainly a lot of rain.
All right, Alison Chinchar, great to have you with us. Thank you.
Well, still to come, Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump share an unlikely friendship, but will the divisive U.S. presidential campaign between their
parents tear them apart?
That story ahead.
Also, with five days to go, is Rio ready? CNN gains exclusive access to water search and rescue drill. How first responders are preparing for
potential emergencies. That story just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BRAEK)
[11:15:40] KINKADE: Welcome back. You're watching CNN, and this is Connect the World with me Lynda Kinkade.
Well, here in the U.S., officials are trying to work out what caused a fatal hot air balloon crash in Texas. 16 people were on board the balloon
when it caught fire in the air making it the deadliest such accident in U.S. history.
our Ed Lavandera reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It appears that investigators will be taking a very close look at the role that power lines in the area of where
this hot air balloon went down might have played in this tragedy. Two sources tell us, one a law enforcement source, another a county official,
tell us they believe the hot air balloon collided with these power lines igniting the fire and the flames on board inside that basket that
essentially killed the 16 people believed to be on board that hot air balloon. The exact cause is not clear. So it's not clear what caused the
hot air balloon to perhaps collide in to these power lines and what exactly was going on on board when all of this happened.
So, that is something that investigators as they begin arriving on the scene and piecing together will be taking a very close look at. It could be
sometime before the National Transportation Safety Board, which is the government agency here in the United States that examines these types of
accidents, and it usually takes them weeks, if not months, to come out with an official ruling as to what caused the accident.
But a witness on the ground described what she saw as that hot air balloon went down to the ground.
MARGARET WYLE, WITNESSED HOT AIR BALLOON CRASH: I don't think any of them even realized what was going on. Because we heard the popping sounds, and I
didn't look in time to see the balloon go down. But, the way it went up, I don't think any of them even had any idea what was going on.
LAVANDERA: One other interesting note, a debate that has been going on between the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation
Administration here in the United States, the NTSB several years ago was calling for more regulation governing these hot air balloon companies that
operate these types of rides.
The FAA pushed back on all of that. It's not exactly clear if these regulations might have made a difference in this tragedy that unfolded in
Texas. But it is interesting to note that these debates about the regulations and how these companies are controlled and governed has been a
topic of debate between these two government agencies here in the United States.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Dallas, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: U.S. republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is in a war of words with an unlikely foe -- the father of fallen Muslim U.S. soldier.
At the Democratic National Convention last week, Khizr Khan denounced Trump's proposed ban on Muslims questioning whether the candidate had even
read the constitution. He said Trump has no idea what sacrifice means. Trump is praising Khan's son as a hero, but calls the father's comments a
vicious attack.
He questioned whether the father even wrote the speech and also suggested that Khan's wife was not allowed to speak, because she's a Muslim. Trump
responded to the claim that he hasn't made sacrifices on air to the ABC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: How would you answer that father? What sacrifice have you made for your country?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think I have made a lot of sacrifices. I've work very, very hard. I've created thousands and
thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I've done -- I've had tremendous success.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Those are sacrifices?
TRUMP: Oh, sure. I think they're sacrifices.
I think when I can employ thousands and thousands of people, take care of their education, take care of so many things. Even in the military, I
mean, I was responsible along with a group of people for getting the Vietnam Memorial built in downtown Manhattan, which to this day people
thank me for.
I've raised millions of dollars for the vets. I'm helping the vets a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Khizr Khan appeared on CNN's State of the Union a short time ago. He says Donald Trump is unfit to lead the united states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF U.S. MARINE KILLEDIN IRAQ: His policies, his practices do not reflect that he has any understanding of the basic
fundamental constitutional principles of this country, what makes this country exceptional, what makes this country exceptional in the history of
the mankind.
There are principles of equal dignity, principle of liberty. He talks about excluding people. Two things are absolutely necessary in any leader or any
person that aspires, wishes to be a leader, that is moral compass and second is empathy. This candidate if void of both traits that are
necessary for the stewardship of this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:20:34] KINKADE: A lot of people are angry over Trump's criticism of the Khan family. Former Republican presidential candidate John Kasich
tweeted, "there's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents, with honor and respect."
Hillary Clinton lashed out at Trump saying, "someone who attacks everybody has something missing."
Well, CNN political analyst Josh Rogin joins us now from Washington. Josh, not only did Trump attack Khan personally calling it a vicious comment, but
he also went after Khan's wife. And we heard today on State of the Union Khan saying that his wife can't talk because when she sees a picture of her
son she just can't hold it together.
But comment further and called Trump a black soul.
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, it's really quite amazing. I mean, this is sort of a textbook example of how not to deal with one of
these things in a political sense.
First, Trump denied that he -- the accusations. Then he went after Mr. Khan's wife. Then he said it was all orchestrated by the Clinton campaign.
Then he claimed that he made sacrifices that were equivalent to the sacrifices of the Khan family as made -- so all these things have fueled
thecontroversy and taken sort of one-day story, which was a very sort of impassioned speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday and
extended it into a weeklong controversy which has really mired the campaign in a discussion of their ban on Muslims which is known to be increasingly
unpopular not just amongst voters, but amongst Republican leaders, as you've rightly mentioned.
KINKADE: Absolutely. And Khan, of course, not only standing by his criticism of Trump's policy, but also upping his criticism today saying he
really does have no understanding of the constitution based on Trump's policies. Should Trump simply refrain from digging in?
ROGIN: Yeah, well, this speaks to sort of the main accusation of the Clinton campaign that Trump simply is too thin skinned to let these things
go. It -- the reason it's become such a big controversy is not just because he's attacked Gold Star families, which is significant, or because
he has continued to attack Muslim Americans, which is significant, but because it feeds the accusation that Trump simply doesn't have the
temperament to be commander-in-chief and president of the United States.
I mean, of course, this is something the Trump campaign vigorously disputes. But when you see that he simply doesn't have the discipline to
hold his fire and let the comments of a grieving family stand, it just reinforces the idea that he's too easily provoked. And that as much as
anything is part of why this is such a big story here in Washington.
KINKADE: One of those key lines from a Hillary Clinton speech, of course, was you don't want someone with their finger on a nuclear code if they get
fired up over a tweet.
ROGIN: Exactly
KINKADE: What do you think Trump needs to do going forward?
ROGIN: Well, I think first of all, he needs to -- what he has done is try to pivot to the issue of
radical Islamic terrorism. It doesn't seem to be working. If I were advising the Trump campaign, and I'm not, what I would say is focus on the
Trump campaign support for veterans.
Now, on the veterans' issue, polls are split. And we saw that in the Republican National Convention, that there are plenty of military folks who
are willing to stand up for Republicans and even for the Trump campaign.
So, if the Trump campaign could focus on that, they could sort of turn this into an issue that they're strong on. However, they show no signs of doing
any of that. In fact, they're just doubling down on their criticism of the Khan family, doubling down on the defense of his remarks.
This is the pattern of the Trump campaign. They believe that they can just weather the storm and they believe that their previous successes justify
this strategy, but only the polls in November will tell us whether or not that's an assumption that's backed up by reality.
KINKADE: Josh, Trump often says pretty controversial things. And it doesn't seem to affect him in the opinion polls.
Do you think this will affect him amongst either his staunch supporters or those that may be sitting on the fence?
ROGIN: So, we've seen that Trump scores well when poll questions are asked about who would be better to combat terrorism. But we've also seen that
Trump scores poorly when the question is asked in terms of who would be best to safeguard national security.
So, you can tell this issue is not decided. And what both campaigns are doing right now is they're going after those sort of independent, middle of
the road voters, those that are not staunchly Republican or staunchly Democrat. And this is an issue that speaks to
those voters. So, you know, we'll have to wait, because first we had -- Trump got a bounce in the polls after his convention, which is natural.
Hillary Clinton is likely to get a bounce in the polls after her convention, which is natural. Then we'll have a leveling out. And we'll be
able to see if any of these controversies have chipped away at Trump's support or his appeal to independents.
It's just too early to tell right now, but this is just the type of thing that might move those numbers.
KINKADE: All right, Josh Rogin, we will be watching those numbers closely. Great to have you with us, as always. Thank you.
Well, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are of course fierce political rivals, but two of their daughters are long-time friends. Chelsea Clinton
and Ivanka Trump remain friends despite their parents' attacks on each other.
Our Amara Walker takes a look at their relationship.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton, long-time friends, with seemingly parallel lives, both women are
in their 30s. And both are new moms.
Ivanka gave birth to her third child, Theodore, in March; Chelsea to her second child, Aiden, in June. Both women also lived through their fathers'
very public scandals.
Ivanka was 10 during Donald Trump's affair with Marla Maples and a bitter divorce that followed it. Chelsea was in her teens during Bill Clinton's
affair with Monica Lewinsky and his subsequent impeachment.
As adults, they each took roles in their family's businesses. Ivanka is an executive vice president of the Trump organization and Chelsea is vice
chair of the board of The Clinton Foundation. These roles have led them to the campaign trail in support of their parents, a campaign trail ripe with
insults and vitriol.
TRUMP: The other candidate in this race, you know her name, Crooked Hillary Clinton.
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is temperature mentally unfit to be President of the United States.
WALKER (voice-over): But does friendship trump politics or does politics trump friendship?
That depends on who you ask.
CHELSEA CLINTON, VICE CHAIR, THE CLINTON FOUNDATION: I am very good friends with Ivanka and I love Ivanka and I think that friendship always trumps
politics and that's how it should be.
IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD'S DAUGHTER: Well, look, we're children and we love our parents. So that's the great equalizer and that's the great common ground.
So I'm incredibly proud of my father. So I think that she would probably say the same about her mother. So she is probably very proud of her mother
and we certainly would share that, I would think.
WALKER (voice-over): "Vanity Fair" reported in March that Ivanka and Chelsea have chosen not to be seen together in public during the election,
leaving many wondering if the rift between their parents will tear them apart, too.
Amara Walker, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, live from CNN center, this is Connect the World. Coming up, new mothers in Brazil fighting the Zika virus. Their forging a bond
for strength and support. Their story in about ten minutes.
And this New York football team has big backers and big named players. How they hope that equals success coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
[11:31:47] KINKADE: We're just five days away from the start of the Rio Olympics and the runup to the games has been bumpy -- the Zika virus,
security fears, political turmoil just to name a few concerns.
But officials are working to keep athletes safe. They're preparing to respond to all kinds of emergencies.
Our Rosa Flores was given exclusive access to a water search and rescue drill. Here's her report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're heading out with Brazilian military firefighters for a drill ahead of the Olympic games. And here is the
scenario. There is an athlete in the water and an accident has occurred.
A helicopter with several first responders is dispatched by air and life guards on jet skis are launched by water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the games time, we are going to provide these services 24/7.
FLORES: A fire brigade colonel is in charge of aquatic search and rescue efforts during the Olympic Games and says he has a thousand lifeguards on
the ready.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: During the games, we are going to run about -- we are going to run five helicopters and also 37 boats.
FLORES: From the air, he says, pilots monitor the water below looking for people in distress. Their eyes in the water: life guards on jet skis.
This time, I'm riding along.
The first phase of the drill, a person is drowning and needs to be airlifted. Two lifeguards drop from the helicopter near the victim. A net
is dropped and the victim is scooped into the net, lifted, and transported to nearby medics who begin first aid immediately.
Once the patient is out of the water, first responders say the first thing they want to do is make sure that the patient is breathing and that the
heart is stabilized.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have not good condition of the ocean. The tide are very high.
FLORES: For part two of this drill, a person is drowning and first responders in jet skis take action. A lifeguard runs into the water and
pulls the victim up and onto the rescue board on the back of the jet ski.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are going to (inaudible). That's the end of their mission.
FLORES: Just like Olympians train for the games, these firefighters train to save lives.
Rosa Flores, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, the International Olympic Committee now says it will have the final say on
Russia's Olympic roster. Many of the country's athletes have arrived in Rio not even knowing if they'll be able to compete due to suspensions over
doping allegations.
Well, for more on the games I'm joined now by Shasta Darlington in Rio.
Shasta, the IOC could have made the call to ban the entire Russian team, instead they handed the decision making to the individual federations. Now
they're taking back some of the power, so they can have the final say.
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Lynda. This is all coming across as a bit schizophrenic. They really did throw the
responsibility to these individual federations. And over 100 Russian athletes have already been banned. But you've got a couple hundred who are
coming here into Rio, many of them are already here, with no guarantee that they'll be able to participate now that this three person panel has been
set up by the IOC to have that final say.
And the other confusing element here is when they do tell us what they finally decided, if more Russian athletes are banned, then other people,
other athletes are going to be bumped up who weren't expecting to participate in the Olympics. So a lot of last-minute confusion that was
probably unnecessary, Lynda.
[11:35:27] KINKADE: Absolutely. All a bit messy there.
Of course, the Olympics is set to start this Friday. Are people confident in Rio that they will have a successful games?
DARLINGTON: Well, Lynda, if you talk to the organizers, they would certainly say they're confident they are going to have some successful
games.
But we do have good news finally. And that's that the very important metro line connecting all of the beaches here on the south zone to the main
Olympic park, that was inaugurated yesterday by the acting president. It won't actually open its doors to the public until tomorrow, that's when
people Olympic credentials can start to use it, not the general public. And that's when we'll find out for
sure that the time between the distances has been cut in half.
We've also been keeping a close eye on security. You saw Rosa's great piece. But really, you do get the feeling that this city on lockdown, that
many if not all of the 85,000 police and soldiers and firefighters who are going to be securing these games, they are already on location. This is
more than double what we saw in London, but they're out there in full force on the corners with their boats off the coast in front of the venues and
police have already set up now to do the screening at the venues replacing the private contractors who were fired, because they didn't hire enough
staff.
So things are falling into place. Of course we've got just a few days left. And I would not be surprised if we didn't see a few more hiccups
there, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yeah, no doubt. There's been so many problems already. And as always there's always a question about whether it's worthwhile, the cost,
the expense of putting on a games.
What is Brazil hoping to gain from this?
DARLINGTON: Lynda, I think that's a chronic question that you see at every Olympic games. What the organizers say is different about these games is
because they're being held in a developing country, they really worked hard to get a lot of the financing paid for by private initiatives. That
obviously opens a whole new can of worms. A lot of people will criticize that.
But they claim at the end of this, you aren't going to see a lot of white elephants that were paid for by the state, a lot of the venues, they aren't
big fancy Bird's Nests, they're going to be repurposed, some of them are going to be turned into public schools or public athletic training centers.
So, they insist that the legacy here will be positive, it will be more along the lines of the games in Barcelona, for example. And they also
point to the huge gains in transportation and in public spaces.
They really revitalized some of the forgotten corners of Rio de Janeiro for these games where the live sites will be held so that some of the poorer
communities they'll have their big screens and a new public park. They've revitalized the port area so that not everyone will be congested on the
beaches, they're going to go to these new parts of the city to see these games.
And they say this will be part of the legacy of Rio 2016, Lynda.
KINKADE: Excellent. Well, that is some good news. Shasta Darlington, great to have you with us. Thank you.
Well, the first ever Olympic refugee team enjoyed one of the many sites in Rio on Saturday. They visited the world famous Chris the Redeemer statute,
which overlooks the city. A team of ten made up of athletes from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo will compete in
the name of refugees everywhere.
One of them says she's doing it for her family as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPOIE MISENGA, MEMBER OF REFUGEE OLYMPIC TEAM (through translator): It's been many years since I have seen my family, my two brothers. I wouldn't
even know what my younger brother would look like if I saw him here today. I wouldn't recognize his face. But the older one I would recognize. I
send many hugs and kisses to him and all of them.
I am here in Brazil. I am participating in the Olympics and I thank god for that. If my brother can see me on TV, to know your brother is here in
Brazil, striving to maybe see him, to be together one day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, are you excited about the games? Be sure to stay with CNN for our continuing covering and head to our website, CNN.com/Olympics.
There you can read more about the athletes, the festivals and the host city, Rio de Janeiro. Plus, you can
take the Olympics quiz and put your knowledge of the games to the test. That's all of course at CNN.com/Olympics.
Well, some new mothers in Brazil are dealing with an unexpected consequence of the Zika virus, they're being shunned by family and friends for giving
birth to babies affected by the virus.
CNN's Arwa Damon reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[11:40:08] ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every day Maria Luisa plays her little princess this song, of God's love
for his children. And every day she cries.
MARIA LUISA FERREIRA DE MACEDO, MOTHER OF BABY WITH MICROCEPHALY (through translator): I get sad because of everything that has happened. I'm not sad
because of her. She makes me happy. She's wonderful.
DAMON: Maria Luisa's husband left her a month after baby Zaylah Nayara (ph) was born with microcephaly. One relative even asked why she didn't abort.
Faye Nayara's (ph) older sister, too young to really understand, sometimes calls her crazy.
FERREIRA DE MACEDO (through translator): I say your sister's not mad. She's a normal child like you.
DAMON: Largely abandoned, Maria Luisa says her neighbor is now like a second parent to the girls. Support groups like this bring mothers
together. In the epicenter of brazil's Zika outbreak, the mothers of the so-called Zika babies lean on each other.
ROSICLAUDIA DE ARAGAO SOUSA, MOTHER OF BABY WITH MICROCEPHALY: When I had my child and knew she had microcephaly, I was like every other mother. I
thought I was the only one going through this.
DAMON: Rosiclaudia's daughter, Clara, turned nine months today. And like most days, it's spent going from one appointment to another.
The sheer commitment of raising a child with microcephaly bonds these mothers into an extended family. Rosiclaudia says she feels her isolation
most in public under the piercing stares of strangers.
DE ARAGAO SOUSA (through translator): People ask, ah, she was born with that disease. They keep looking, whispering. Look, the girl with the little
head.
DAMON: She is constantly arguing back that her baby isn't diseased, she's special. Most have experienced that same stigma. Their love for their
little ones is unwavering. But they can only hope and pray that society evolves to accept their children, not reject them.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Recife, Brazil.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: You're watching Connect the World. Still to come, Pope Francis wraps up his five-day trip to Poland. We'll have a report from our Vatican
correspondent.
Plus, it's got big names and big catch and European football is catching on in New York City. The details when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: You're watching CNN and this is Connect the World with me Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back.
In a sign of solidarity, Muslims across France attended Catholic mass. It follows the murder of a priest on Tuesday. Father Jacques Hemal was
stabbed in the chest and had his throat slit in his church. Two attackers have pledged allegiance to ISIS. Muslim leaders said they wanted to show
their solidarity and compassion over the murder.
CNN's Alexandra Field joins us now from Paris with more. And Alexandra, even the Muslim community is distancing themselves from these attackers.
And Muslim leaders are refusing to bury one of the terrorists.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Certainly you obviously are hearing condemnations of these killers that are coming from across France,
across Paris, across St. Etienne, the place where this church was, but also the religious leaders in St. Etienne. You've got a mosque there and an
imam there who have said that if asked to perform the burial rituals for one of the killers that they have refuse to do that. They did not want to
participate in that.
That as that community continues to grieve for the loss of this 86-year-old priest who was killed when his church was stormed. There was a vigil that
was held last night in honor of Jacques Hemal. There will be there will be further services to honor and commemorate his life. At the same time, you
have got interfaith services that are happening really across the country, not just in St. Etienne, but also in Rouen, which is not far from St.
Etienne, that was one place where you had church hold its Sunday mass this morning.
And they invited and encouraged Muslims to come and be alongside Catholics who came to pray this morning. And that was something that was replicated
at a number of churches throughout the country, even right here in Paris at the iconic cathedral of Notre Dame. You had an open invitation to
Muslims to come, to participate this morning, to show unity, to show solidarity. And there were also religious leaders who were in attendance.
I spoke to not only a bishop at Notre Dame who talked about the importance of showing the Muslims community that they were welcome to come and to be a
part of this, but I also spoke to Muslim community leaders who said that they are feeling the church's pain right now. They are sharing the
church's grief right now, and that's why they wanted to be there to be together with their Catholic brothers and sisters.
And the clergy members who we spoke with said it is important for the clergy of all faiths to come forward right now, to speak to the public
right now, to speak to the faithful, to teach and to preach peace across religions, Lynda.
KINKADE: Alexandra, there are many people feeling nervous. These are some of the first church services since this attack. What are people saying
about how they feel coming back into the church?
FIELD: Look, this is a country that has been dealing with the insecurity of the heightened terror threat level for a year and a half now, really
since January 2015 when you saw the gruesome attacks on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, which was then followed in November of this year with the
hideous coordinated attacks of November 13. You have the gruesome massacre in Nice just a few weeks ago when 84 people were killed, then the attack at
this church.
So when we were at Notre Dame this morning, obviously it's heavy on people's minds, it's not just at the church, it's well beyond the church,
it's across the country that these types of attacks are heavy on people's minds.
But we did see an increased security present. There was a heavy police presence there, a military presence that was out and about outside of Notre
Dame, which is of course a major landmark here in France. So people are very much aware of this, it's not causing them to stay away from the church
or this kind of interfaith service this morning, but it is a fact of life that you simply cannot escape in France right now, the fact that they're
continuing to live under a state of emergency and the fact that there is this heightened level of fear and this heightened threat level here in
France and across Europe, Lynda.
KINKADE: Yeah, it's the new normal, no doubt. Alexandra Field, good to have you with us. Thank you.
Well, Pope Francis is wrapping up a five-day visit to Poland where he's celebrated world youth day. These are live pictures right now of the pope
meeting with some volunteers and young people. The young people, of course, traveling from all across the world to be there for World Youth
Day.
CNN's Delia Gallagher has more on the pope's message to the pilgrims in Krakow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: In front of a crowd of more than 1.5 million people, Pope Francis celebrated mass and left his final
message to the kids who had come so far, over 200 countries from ail around the world to hear him.
"Believe in a new humanity," he said, "one that rejects hatred between peoples and one that refuses to see borders as barriers. Have the courage
to be more powerful than evil," the pope said, "by loving everyone, including your enemies."
It's a message he has driven home during the five day visit here here to Poland, known as World Youth Day. And he's spoken to the kids using their
language. He told them don't be couch potatoes, shut off your computer screens, strap on your boots and get out and make your mark on the world.
God is expecting something from you.
And after the mass, to great cheer, Pope Francis announced that Panama has been chosen as the next country to host World Youth Day in 2019.
Tonight, the pope returns to the Vatican.
Delia Gallagher, CNN, Krakow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:50:02] KINKADE: Well, coming up, it's called soccer here in the U.S., but don't tell that to this New
York Football Club. How it's looking to win when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: You're watching Connect the World. And I'm Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back.
Well, European football is now becoming more popular in the U.S. And the New York City Fotball Club is making a name for itself. On Friday, the
team defeated the Colorado Rapids 5-1. It's only their second season in Major League Soccer, but they're backed by a lot of cash and some pretty
big names.
Nick Parker has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the return run, though, David Villa on the long ball.
NICK PARKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Legendary Spanish striker David Villa taking care of business for New York City Football Club.
Built from scratch, the team only actually entered Major League Soccer last season and their ambitions are high.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a ton of money there. And you're talking about an ownership group that is more than willing to spend. They have three
designated players making over $17 million in aggregate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, four, five.
PARKER: The New York Yankees have a small stake in the team, but the majority shareholder is City Football Group, the heavyweight Abu Dhabi-
based consortium with other teams on their roster, including English giants Manchester City.
The influence from city is clear -- from the pale blue kit to the sponsors Etihad, to the attacking playing style, the hope is that synergy in
branding with a big team will translate into success in the MLS at a time when U.S. consumer access to the English Premier League is growing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe it's a compliment. I'm firmly a believer in this. As passionate soccer fans grow up, they are going to want to consume
more and more soccer all the time in any way they can. And right now, as a soccer fan in the United States there still isn't enough access to
professional soccer.
PARKER: Building support in the city is key for the new team. At this event with star players
and New York's mayor, they a announced a partnership to build 50 football pitches for children at a cost of $3 million.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Across America and across the MLS, I've seen the MLS grow huge since the first years I came here probably 10, 15 years ago now.
And it's been a great place. I think it can get better.
PARKER: The latest TV rights deal for the league is worth $90 million a year, triple what it was two years ago, but still a long way short of the
miulti-billion dollar price tags for top U.S. sports.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Handing it off, now the cross from (inaudible) turned in by Frank Lampard.
PARKER: Big named signings like Frank Lampard will always get eyeballs, but analysts say what is needed is the development of home grown talent and
higher wages for them.
It's certainly a long-term play. The team is believed to be still in the red, but focused on building a profitable future.
Nick Parker, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, how far can you drive in six days? It's a question that led to the experience of a lifetime in today's Parting Shots. We tag along
with a group of friends for a trip through some fascinating landscapes in the American west.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[11:55:04] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This whole thing started in December of 2015. My friend Keifer (ph) was over. And we were playing around on
Google Maps seeing how far hypothetically you could go if you drove nonstop for six days.
Pretty soon this joke stopped being a joke and we found ourselves recruiting people for this adventure. My last exam was on the 26th of
April 2016 and at 4:00 a.m. on the 27th, we were in a car on the start of a journey that would see us covering over 6,000 kilometers in a little under
six days.
So as time went on, we start to become really interested in how many unique and diverse habitats we could see in this limited time frame, because most
people would think perhaps looking at these pictures that they were taken over the course of a few months, you know, going to remote places. but it's
interesting to see just how great of a diversity there is in such a small area if you really go looking for it.
One of the challenges we faced during this series was definitely staying awake and driving and managing our time like that. We were covering over
1,000 kilometers a day on average.
I'm Philippe Roberge (ph) and these are my parting shots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, before we go, we have an old controversy made new thanks to social media and the first nomination of a woman for president in the
United States by a major party.
Well, 21 years ago, Walmart had t-shirts taken off the shelves. They read, quote, "some day a
woman will be president."
Well, for more on this story and others our team are working on, head to Facebook.com/CNNconnect.
Hard to believe that was just 21 years ago. I'm Lynda Kinkade, that was Connect the World. Thanks so much for watching.
END
