Return to Transcripts main page
Quest Means Business
Details Donald Trump Jr.'s Russian Meeting; Amazon Launches "Geek Squad" Competitor; U.N.: Mosul Rebuilding Could Cost Over $1 Billion; Paris, Los Angeles to Make Final Olympic Bids;
Aired July 10, 2017 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:00] ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST: Gearing for applause there. That sounded it is 4:00 Eastern time in New York. That sound, I'm sure you know by now,
marks the end of yet another trading day on Wall Street.
Come over here with me. Come over here for a second. Let me show you how the markets did. We started off fairly in the red and we rose consistently
throughout the day, ending the day just up four points. So pretty much flat. Let me tell you what investors were focused on. They were focused
squarely on tech stocks. It's also Amazon Prime Day. Amazon is the big stock that everybody is talking about. And also, earnings season is
getting ready to kick off.
It is Monday, July 10th. Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer, a former White House official said it borders on treason. We'll hear from
him in just a moment. Amazon, as I mentioned, prepares for its biggest day of shopping by striking another blow at brick and mortar rivals. Iraq
declares victory over ISIS in Mosul. Now the work of rebuilding now begins. Let me tell you, the costs are high. Hello everyone, I am Zain
Asher and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
All right. Welcome, everyone. I am Zain Asher. Tonight, we are learning more about Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer. The
president's eldest son changed his version of events following reports in "The New York Times" about the encounter. British-born businessman Rob
Goldstone tells CNN he was the person who set up last year's meeting. It was arranged to relay to Trump Jr. an allegation about illegal campaign
contributions to the Democratic National Committee. On Saturday Mr. Trump said the meeting was primarily -- his words -- primarily about adoptions.
But after "The New York Times" claimed the purpose was to dish dirt on Hillary Clinton, he changed his story. He's saying he was indeed told the
Russian might have information useful to the election campaign. Goldstone told CNN nothing came of the meeting. On CNN's "NEW DAY," Kellyanne Conway
picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: They get into the meeting, and it quickly turns into a pretext for Russian adoption, according to his
statements. That the comments this woman was making about any type of information on Hillary Clinton were vague, they were meaningless. Others
exited the meeting very quickly. The meeting itself was very brief. There was no information given. There was no action taken. There was no follow-
up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Richard Painter was a White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush. He believes the meeting borders on treason. He joins me
live now from Minneapolis. So, Richard, before we get to the treason stuff, if the Trump campaign is enlisting Russia's help to win the U.S.
election, explain to our audience what is the difference between that and collusion?
RICHARD PAINTER, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ETHICS LAWYER: Well, we don't know what happened yet. So, I think it's important not to jump to conclusions.
But if the account of this meeting that was in "The New York Times" is true that they were promised information on Hillary Clinton, information that
the Russians had, the minute they were told that, they should have called the FBI. That was their responsibility. Because we cannot tolerate
Russian espionage inside the United States. Neither party should be using Russian agents to try to win elections. So, any type of collaboration with
Russian spies or spies from any other country to try to win an election in the United States would be treasonous, a violation of federal law.
Particularly when Russia has engaged in computer hacking in the United States, which is an attack on the United States and on our Democratic
system. So, I don't know all of the facts here, but if the facts set forth in "The New York Times" article are true, this is a very, very troubling
turn of events.
ASHER: Richard, the fact that that he didn't contact the FBI and then initially, when asked, said it was about adoptions and then changed their
story again saying it was about getting opposition research on Hillary Clinton, what does that tell you?
PAINTER: Well, I don't know what's going on. There have been so many lies told about meetings with the Russians over the past six months by so many
people, that it's hard to get to the truth. Once again, if someone contacts you and says that they have information from the Russians about
your political opponent, you need to call the FBI. Because that is information that is likely to have been obtained through illegal means,
through espionage. And that is not something that an American should have anything to do with. That's not what we should be doing to win elections
in the United States, enlisting the help of foreign agents or taking advantage of the fact that foreign agents want to spy on Americans and
disrupt our Democratic process.
[16:05:00] ASHER: Richard, as Bob Mueller looks at evidence of possible -- I want to emphasize the word "possible" -- possible collusion, how does he
dissect this meeting, do you think?
PAINTER: Well, I think he needs to talk to everybody who was in the meeting. As I said, these people all should be brought in for questioning.
That would be happening right away, I would think, in just about any other administration. You wouldn't need an independent prosecutor, you would
have the FBI hauling them in for questioning. People who were offered information by the Russians, information likely obtained through espionage,
and then went in and talked with the Russians without talking to the FBI. This is a very, very disturbing turn of events.
So, Bob Mueller have to have his staff talk to everybody who has been at that meeting. Everybody who knows what happened at the meeting. There are
apparently a number of White House staff who have been relaying information about what happened in that meeting. And all the other meetings between
any Americans connected with any of these political campaigns and Russian agents, that needs to be uncovered, and we need to find out what happened.
ASHER: So why do you think, just in terms of Donald Jr. changing his story, why do you think the truth seems to always be the last resort?
PAINTER: Well, I don't know why people are changing their story all the time, but this just fits in the pattern that we have seen ever since
Michael Flynn. General Flynn lied to the vice president about his own meetings with the Russians. And then apparently lied in his disclosure
forms about the money he had received from the Russians and I believe the Turkish government. We have had a lot of people who are not willing to
tell the truth about their contacts with the Russians. The attorney general himself was not candid with Congress in his own confirmation
hearings about contacts with the Russians. And we need to put a stop to this. Bob Mueller needs to ask people these questions under oath, and they
need to get the facts. And so, we can find out what happened and move on.
ASHER: All right, Richard Painter live for us there. Appreciate you joining us, sir. Thank you.
Meantime, President Trump now appears to be backing away from an idea he tweeted about that had some lawmakers somewhat confused. Following his
meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit last week in Germany.
The President tweeted this, Putin and I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that the election hacking and many other negative
things will be guarded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MCCAIN, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: I am sure that Vladimir Putin can be of enormous assistance in that effort since he is doing the hacking. I
mean, it's -- it's --
ADAM SCHIFF, RANKING MEMBER, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: We might as well just mail our ballot boxes to Moscow. I don't think that's an answer
at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The various politicians had a lot of fun with that. Those sorts of comments may have led Mr. Trump to think again.
Later Sunday night he tweeted. The fact that President Putin and I discussed a Cyber Security unit doesn't mean I think it can happen. It
can't, but a cease fire can and did.
Steve Hall is CNN's National Security Analyst and was the CIA chief of Russia operations. He joins us from Arizona. So, Steve, you are in a
unique position to dissect this. Even though Donald Trump backtracks, what would have led him to believe that was a smart idea to begin with?
STEVE HALL, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: You know, Zain, it's breath- taking is what it is. Because there's all sorts of analogies out there on the internet. You know, it's like getting together with the bank robber to
talk about bank safety. Yes, all of those are absolutely correct. You know, going back a number of years, at least five years, and probably
further, not only the United States government but the West in general has been trying to engage with Russia on internet issues.
The Russians are, of course, very interested in this because they want to skew it to their favor. But to go one step further and talk about cyber
security with the Russians is -- even if they had not hacked us, which they did, even if they had not done all the things they did during the leadup to
the elections, it would still not be a wise idea to discuss cyber security. Because of course, they're going to get in there and get all the
information they've ever wanted about what our planning is, what our structures are and how we even ask questions about it. That's all very
valuable intelligence to them.
ASHER: So, you worked with the CIA. The CIA hears Donald Trump come out with this and they think what?
HALL: Well, it's -- I don't know. It's extremely difficult to imagine. All of my former colleagues, not only at the CIA, but NSA and other places
that deal with cyber issues, counter intelligence issues, trying to protect America's, you know, secure systems, trying to make sure the Russians don't
get in. You know, spending God only knows how many hours and entire careers trying to make sure the Russians don't even get close to this and
then to see the commander in chief say, well, we talked about it.
[16:10:01] He did quickly retract it. I suppose that's a piece of good news. But I would imagine unsettling is probably the first word that comes
to mind and that's probably a pretty mild description.
ASHER: Is Russia going to completely get away with hacking the U.S. election?
HALL: Depends on what you mean by "getting away with." In one sense, of course, they already have. The elections are over. They did indeed hack,
and we know from the intelligence community the consensus there is that the desire was to increase the likelihood that Donald Trump would be elected
and decrease the likelihood that Hillary Clinton would be elected. In that sense, it worked. The real question is now, what about the future? What
do we need to protect from hacks? That's a tough one.
ASHER: For the fact that they're now talking about -- or Donald Trump. Yes. He did backtrack. He did retract it. The fact that he's talking
about joining forces with President Putin in order to thwart the cyber threat is sort of incredible and does sort of imply that the Russians in a
way have gotten away with it.
HALL: Yes, I think it does imply that. Of course, we already know from the intelligence community as well that, you know, any cooperation with the
Russians on cyber issues, because we have such different values and strict goals, is really a fool's errand, and we ought to stay away from it.
ASHER: Steve Hall, live for us there. Thank you so much.
Amazon's annual day of deals is almost upon us. Prime Day is promising a wealth of bargains from around 9:00 p.m. Eastern tonight. And as our
Claire Sebastian reports, Amazon's voice activated assistant, Alexa, is playing a huge part in it. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLAIRE SEBASTIAN, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDENT: Alexa, what are your deals?
ALEXA: Here are my deals.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): There was a time when one click was the pinnacle of consumer convenience on Amazon. This year on Prime Day, it's all about
the voice. Right Alexa?
ALEXA: Voice shoppers get early access to Prime Day deals starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, July 10th.
MAX WOLFF, MARKET STRATEGIST, 55 INSTITUTIONAL: I think Alexa is going to become front and center for the whole Prime Day experience. What they're
saying is the true network prime, in all senses of the term, Amazon client uses this device. Use is too. Be there first. Get the best of us.
SEBASTIAN: While Alexa has yet to rival mobile or online shopping, she's growing. RBC Capital Markets predicts Alexa could increase spending by up
to 15 percent per Amazon customer by 2020. That's an extra $5 billion in revenue.
ALEXA: $5 billion's number of zeros is 9.
SEBASTIAN: And its best competition, Google launched voice activated shopping through its Google Home and Google Assistant in February. This
month Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba, launched its own mandarin only virtual assistant Tmall Genie.
And Apple has the Home Pod which goes on sale in December.
WOLFF: I think everyone thinks the next two major areas for the internet to eat are the car experience and the house experience. And Alexa is in
pole position for the house experience. For them it's not really about selling the device, it's about walling the garden with a higher wall or
making the wall garden a more pleasant place to live.
SEBASTIAN: In other words, along with Prime, Alexa is another way for Amazon to lock in customers. Food is a key part of that. Especially now
it's buying Whole Foods.
SEBASTIAN (on camera): Alexa, I need milk.
ALEXA: I added milk to your shopping list.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alexa take a video.
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Alexa can even provide fashion tips with the new echo look.
WOLFF: What Amazon is really trying to do is prove they can do what you need to do better, easier, faster, simpler, more fun than anybody else.
ALEXA: Would you like to shop?
SEBASTIAN (voice-over): And Alexa, experts say, may be a reliable assistant even if she is not yet willing to admit it.
(on camera): Alexa, what is the future of retail?
ALEXA: Sorry. I'm not sure about that.
SEBASTIAN: Claire Sebastian, CNNMoney, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Why is she not sure about it? She is disrupting it.
Amazon wants you to buy its smart home products and now wants to install them for you too. Shares of Best Buy dived 6 percent on Monday after
Amazon announced its Amazon Smart Home services store. Kind of a mouthful, but OK. The service competes with Best Buy's Geek Squad, which helps
customers set up their electronics.
So, Paul La Monica joins us live. It seems like every day we're talking about somehow, some way in which Amazon is disrupting the world. A month
or two ago, it was that they were buying Whole Foods. What are their long- term goals?
[16:15:00] PAUL R. LA MONICA, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDENT: It's not just retail, obviously. We've seen what they've done in media, the cloud
business also. But I think saying what's going on here is that Amazon recognizes that what Best Buy has done with the Geek Squad is that there
are some people that may not necessarily either have the technical acumen or the desire or time to set up their own Wi-Fi connected smart homes, all
these different devices that play into that, even if you are somewhat technically savvy, it's a lot of work. So, having a person or people come
and do it for you, some people will pay for that. Amazon recognizes that.
ASHER: What's the difference between what Best Buy offers now with Geek Squad and what Amazon is going to be offering? Are they basically the
same?
LA MONICA: I think it remains to be seen. We still don't have heck of a lot of details just yet about what Amazon is going to be doing. But
clearly Wall Street is very worried. Best Buy stock, as you mentioned, plunging today. It might be a bit of an overreaction. Best Buy is a stock
that has gotten hurt in the past because of Amazon. There used to be a joke that Best Buy was essentially Amazon's showroom. You would talk in,
look at a TV at Best Buy, and then take out your phone, find it for less on Amazon and walk out and go buy it on Amazon. Best Buy has done a good job
of being more price savvy and competing with Amazon on price as well. I think people are underestimating Best Buy and that might be a mistake.
ASHER: In terms of Amazon's future, the sort of home tech sort of personal assistant in your house segment, is that going to be a real source of
revenue?
LA MONICA: It remains to be seen if it will be a gigantic source of revenue. But obviously this is an area that many big tech companies are
enamored with. You've got of course, Siri and Apple in there and a have their own speaker as well. Google with the air freshener looking home
device that they have. Clearly many tech companies think having a device that lets you do whatever you want in a Jetsons like fashion, of course, by
from all these companies, is the wave of the future.
ASHER: Speaking of buying. What is going to be your number one product for Amazon Prime Day? You know you're going to be shopping, Paul.
LA MONICA: I'll probably will go old-school and buy a book in hard-cover format, not a kindle copy.
ASHER: Wow, you are the perfect person for this job.
LA MONICA: I was an Amazon early adopter in the late '90s when it was basically just books.
ASHER: OK, Paul La Monica, live for us. Thank you so much. Appreciate that.
LA MONICA: Thank you.
ASHER: Amazon appears to be eating up traditional businesses across the board. The news industry is trying to fight back against the tech giants.
The News Media Alliance, which represents digital and print publishers, is taking on anti-trust laws that it says allow Facebook and Google to claim
an unfair share of advertising revenue. David Chavern is the CEO of the News Media Alliance. He joins us live now from Washington. In terms of
what is the biggest economic threat, the biggest sort of online economic threat to news outlets right now, is it Google and Facebook?
DAVID CHAVERN, CEO, NEWS MEDIA ALLIANCE: You know, the interesting thing is they demand for our product, for news, is bigger than it's ever been in
history. And this is a moment, too, where we understand that it's -- how important good, credible news is. And people understand that they -- the
digital future of news can be spectacular. I mean, you can reach hundreds of millions of people. The audience is immense. What you have to do is
have a digital ecosystem that can allow you to actually sustain investments in journalism and the news business. And we're not there yet. The biggest
distribution platforms are Facebook and Google. At the end of the day we need a better arrangement with them.
ASHER: Yes, so basically, what you're saying, from what I understand, is that essentially the news outlets do all the work, the heavy lifting and
Ben Google and Facebook basically reap the rewards.
CHAVERN: You know, in a broad brush, that is true. You have an immense audience on Google and Facebook who want and need news. News content is
incredibly compelling to people. And also, important to society. You need to have good news content. But unfortunately, the arrangements with the
digital platforms are such that there is not enough of a return to really continue to sustain those investments in the future. And at the end of the
day we need a better deal.
ASHER: So how does Google and Facebook -- how do they go about combatting the rise of quote-unquote, fake news and promoting quality journalism more?
CHAVERN: Well -- and Google and Facebook are different. Again, the great thing is they're great distribution platforms, right. You can get to a lot
of people. We believe that news product from legitimate news organizations should be recognized as coming from people who make investments in things
like reporters, and news rooms, and editors.
[16:20:00] You saw in the last election what Macedonian teenagers were able to do in creating garbage news to create with real news. I think we have
to have a joint understanding with Google and Facebook that real news is what people want but also as a society what we need. And that we need a
system that will sustain that.
ASHER: How likely is it that Congress is go to -- because what you're looking for is the right to negotiate together, in terms of many different
news outlets negotiate together. How likely is it that Congress will grant you that right?
CHAVERN: I don't really handicap passing legislation. It's no secret that passing legislation these days isn't the easiest thing to do. But what I
can say is that we feel compelled to make the argument to push the issue forward. To do everything we can to make this a reality. Because it's
really important not only for our industry, but for our society. I mean, as I often say, if you want a free news business, you know what that looks
like. That looks like Pope endorses Trump. It looks like garbage news. There's no such thing as a free news industry. We produce something of
value and we need to have it be valued.
ASHER: In terms of a negotiation, what are you looking for in terms of concrete, tangible changes?
CHAVERN: I think you're looking for a better sharing of digital ad revenue. You are looking for support for subscription models. Better
support for -- so people can subscribe to our publications. You are looking for better sharing of data. Many times, when people are reading
our content we have no idea who our readers are. You are looking at better brand support and brand equity. So, people know that the news is coming
from reliable sources. And don't say things like, I got my news from Facebook.
ASHER: All right. Appreciate you being with us, David. Thank you so much.
CHAVERN: Thank you. Happy to be here.
ASHER: Still to come here on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister says 2016 was a tough year for his country. As demonstrators are
back in the streets. He says the economy has not been fazed. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back, everybody. The price of oil is rising after Saudi Aramco warned the world could be on the cusp of a supply shortage. Brent
crude climbed to around $47 a barrel Monday at the start of the World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul. Aramco's CEO said there had been a sharp
drop in investment and discoveries since prices plunged in 2014. Our Emerging Markets Editor, John Defterios, is at the conference with energy
ministers and executives from the energy industry. He asked Russia's Alexander Novak if he is prepared to work with OPEC in the short term to do
more to cut supply.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDER NOVAK, RUSSIAN ENERGY MINISTER (through translator): Yes, your right, the door is open. What we need to do is structurally assess the
situation. We need to understand whether any further actions are actually need or deemed necessary. For that, we need to monitor. We need to
analyze. We need to look at the markets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[16:25:09] ASHER: You'll see his full interview on this program tomorrow night, this time tomorrow. This conference in Istanbul comes just hours
after mass protests across the city. Thousands of people took part in pro- democracy demonstrations nearly a year after that failed coup attempt. John Defterios spoke to Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, Mehmet Simsek
shrugged off the unrest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEHMET SIMSEK, TURKISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: 2016 was an awful year. Geopolitics, failed coup attempt and terror. I mean, had any other country
would have suffered a deep recession. Let alone attracting decent amount of investments. So, even last year we attracted just a little bit around 1
percent GDP equivalent FDI inflows. And this year is picking up. And as I said, growth is back to almost 5 percent. You are talking about, on a
purchasing power parity basis, the 13th largest economy in the world. And the size of population, the size of the market, will continue to justify
flows of investments. And we remain committed to reforms and sound policies.
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: We have very hard-lines emerging from Europe. Austria not letting the economy minister in on this
anniversary of the coup. Chancellor Merkel of Germany suggesting we have major differences. Translation, do you have to live with just the customs
union going forward and that's it for the European Union and you're OK with that?
SIMSEK: Short term, understandably, Europe is going through a difficult political cycle and that's reflected in Europe/Turkey relations. Politics
have been largely have been very unfavorable, no question about it. So, for now, we are trying to upgrade the customs union to include services,
public procurement and agriculture, that could expand trade between Turkey and EU from $150 billion to $300 billion over a decade. So that's low-
hanging fruit for Europe and Turkey. But as far as the accession is concerned, of course, we understand that the politics will remain
unfavorable for now. But times will change. Times will heal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Tesla's first Model 3 has rolled off the lines and straight into Elon Musk's garage. It was a gift from Ira Ehrenpreis, a member of the
Tesla board. He had been the first person to pay his deposit for a Model 3. Tesla is, of course, aiming to dramatically ramp up output of the Model
3 in the coming months. It's just a few days since Volvo said it would stop making traditionally powered vehicles in about two years from now in
favor of all electric and all hybrid cars. CNN's Paula Newton spoke to the head of Toyota North America and asked how, in this changing landscape,
Toyota will stay competitive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM LENTZ, CEO, TOYOTA NORTH AMERICA: We are still the dominant player. The difference is we are a full-line manufacturer. So, we have a very,
very broad lineup of vehicles, from very small, fuel-efficient vehicles to very large work trucks like Tundra. It's easier if you are a smaller
player with smaller volumes, that you can concentrate on a given niche part of the marketplace. I applaud them. I think it is a good move on their
part, but I can't -- it's difficult to say. I think, in time, hybrids our going to be the backbone of our lineup for some time to come. Whether they
are extended range or whether they are traditional hybrid vehicles. Fuel cells long term we believe is going to be the solution. So, I think it's
going to evolve over time where everyone may be in the position of Volvo, but it's going to be quite a while down the road.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You are standing there, the brand- spanking new headquarters behind you there in Texas. I know it's a big day for Toyota there. Having said that, way before Donald Trump was even
thinking of becoming president you guys conceived that headquarters. And yet you have been a target for the president. As has been the entire auto
industry. Are you hoping that with this kind of investment it will take the heat off of you a little bit?
LENTZ: I am not sure about taking the heat off. The president is very clear in his expectations of the industry, and including Toyota. And he's
voicing those expectations. The fact is, if you look at Toyota's history in the U.S., we have been hiring Americans, and people are buying American-
made products. Roughly seven out of ten of our vehicles are made here.
NEWTON: Jim, sorry to interrupt. We know auto makers, including Toyota, have been repeating that for months and months. Yet Donald Trump's
rhetoric on trade and the auto makers remains the same, you are not creating enough jobs in America.
[16:30:02] LENTZ: Well, I think his overall first concern was for companies moving jobs overseas. Moving jobs to other parts of the world,
which we have not done. So, we continue to invest here in America. We have already announced over the next five years $10 billion of investment.
This facility alone is an example.
NEWTON: There has been lots of talk about a trade war, especially as they are gearing up for the G20 meeting in Germany today. What worries you
about that?
LENTZ: Well, I -- we are free traders. We have 69 manufacturing facilities over about 30 countries in the world. I export about 138,000
vehicles to about 40 different countries from vehicles made here in the U.S. I think the average consumer benefits from free trade. So, you know,
we are believers in free trade. As an example, when the U.S. and Korea reached their trade agreement a few years ago, the car of the year in Korea
was a Camry hybrid built here in Kentucky. So that's an example of how free trade works and why we are so bullish and positive that we need to
continue to have free trade.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Still to come here on QUEST MEANS BUSINESS, the battle for Mosul, Iraq's second largest city and the symbolic birthplace of ISIS
is over. Now it's time for the international community to shell out its wallet. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Hello, everyone. I am Zain Asher. There is more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in just a minute. When Mosul is liberated from ISIS, the U.N.
says the cost of rebuilding will be high. And it's the final event as Paris and Los Angeles bid for the Olympics. They are the only two cities
willing to jump through hoops. And of course, pay the sky-high price. But first, here are your headlines at this hour.
The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump learned a couple of days ago about a meeting between his oldest son and a Russian lawyer with ties
to the Kremlin. Donald Trump Jr. now admits he met with the woman after being told she might have information about his father's opponent, Hillary
Clinton.
[16:35:00] The U.N. special envoy for Syria says the cease fire in western Syria is mostly holding. He made the announcement as a new round of peace
talks began in Geneva. The British high court ordered the parents of Charlie Gard to present new written evidence by Wednesday to show the
effectiveness of experimental treatment. The parents are fighting to keep their terminally ill 11-month-old son on life support to get treatment in
the United States. The court reconvenes Thursday.
A cholera outbreak spiraling out of control in Yemen according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. More than 1600 people have died
from the highly contagious infection. There are more than 300,000 suspected cases in cholera in Yemen.
Authorities are investigating the cause of a blaze in London's Camden Market that raced through the well-known tourist attraction during the
early hours of -- early morning hours. The majority of the market was still able to operate for business. Phil Black has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Authorities said the emergency calls started to come in around midnight local time. There were lots of them
because the fire was so visible across a wide area. Images and videos posted to social media give a sense of just how dramatic it looked on the
nighttime London skyline. The authorities responded with some force around 75 fighters, 10 fire engines. They battled the fire for about three hours
before declaring that it was out and then working through the morning to ensure there were no issues with any of the smoldering ruins. Ensuring
there was no risk the fire could take hold once again.
Crucially, there were no reported injuries. As a result of the fire. Camden Market is without doubt one of London's best-known market areas.
It's very busy during the day. But at that time of the night it would have been very few people around. The human cost here will be in the businesses
and livelihoods that are affected as a result of the damage that has been caused. There was another large fire, bigger than this, in this same area
back in 2008. It took many months for the businesses in this area to recover from the fire on that occasion. The authorities here say it's too
early to know precisely what the cause of this fire was. Phil Black, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: It's been nine months since the battle for Iraq's second largest city began. Today the prime minister of Iraq announced the whole of Mosul
had been retaken from is. President Trump has congratulated the Iraqi people saying is' days in Iraq and Syria are numbered. Nick Paton Walsh
joins us live from Irbil, Iraq. So, Nick, you've got incredible access to the city of Mosul. You, of course, saw destruction. You saw rubble. Tell
me in what you saw, were there any signs of hope in that city left?
NICK PATON WALSH: Well at this stage it's still a moment I think where they're still trying to eradicate the resilient pockets of ISIS in the
rubble of the old city. Today, even as Haider al Abadi, the Iraqi Prime Minister, finally announced the victory there in Mosul, it was clear that
the fighting would still continue for some more hours. But the broader message is out there. That this dark chapter in Iraq's history of Mosel,
its second largest city being in ISIS's grip as part of their caliphate is over now.
There are other pockets around the country but here is what we saw this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: It's like something supernatural for other-worldly has hit it. This destruction absolutely breath-taking and really a sign of the dust and
bones that ISIS have left in their wake.
(voice-over): The old city, Mosul, the damage new, a city gone, and Mosul, almost free of ISIS. Elsewhere, Iraqis celebrating victory, dancing
in the streets.
Yet here, the streets are still being ground to rubble. In the last hundred yards of ISIS. The group that once held swathes of Iraq and Syria,
down here to their last breaths, we're told.
(on camera) There it is, the river that runs through the heart of Mosul marks the end of ISIS territory in Iraq, really. But between these
Iraqi special forces and that body of water that marks victory, are still just dozens of ISIS fighters still holding out.
(voice-over): American air strikes hammer them.
(on camera): That's the intensity and proximity of the fighting here, that air strikes are called in right next to Iraqi forces. They even
feel the rubble landing in their faces.
[16:40:00] (voice-over): Perhaps, because this really is the end, some of them appear to give themselves up. A sniper still there. They're
welcomed. Carry him, carry him. The commander shouts.
After the masks, the manicured propaganda now we finally see what Iraqi soldiers say is the true human and defeated face of ISIS. The man appears
like he has a disability and is asked how he got here. ISIS forced me here, he insists. They fought the world's war on ISIS here in Mosul, and
now casually pass dead fighters. Major Salam was with us at the start and has lost many friends.
(on camera) How does it feel?
MAJOR SALAM, IRAQI ARMY: I feel tired. I am trying to don the operation here after all this nine months.
WALSH (voice-over): The Brigadier General al-Asadi planted the Iraqi flag he says on the river bank the day before. But this isn't a battle of flags
anymore. But for ISIS of smaller cells and survival. So, the fight went on, even as the official declaration from Iraq's Prime Minister announced
victory. So, it will be for Iraq in the years ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALSH: Now, as I say, in the years and months ahead, there remains a challenge for Iraq. They have many towns where there are still an ISIS
presence. It's not really contiguous enough to be thought of as the caliphate they once projected power from. But it is certainly a challenge
for Iraq's security and across the border too they still retain control of what they declare as their capital, the Syrian city of Raqqa. They are
losing control of lots of the outskirts very quickly.
But now Iraq perhaps has a moment to pause, to feel the burden lifted of feeling its second largest city under ISIS control having been battled over
and brutally occurring in the last eight months, but also a very broad challenge of social reconstruction and social healing which Iraq, frankly,
has not had a great time doing in the past 15 years. Back to you.
ASHER: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, live for us there, thank you so much.
The fighting in Mosul has displaced nearly 1 million people as our Nick Paton Walsh was just talking about. The city has a lot of healing to do,
and the U.N. says repairing even basic infrastructure could end up costing $1 billion or more. Lisa Grande is the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator for
Iraq, she joins us live now from Washington. So. $1 billion to rebuild Mosul. Where will that money come from?
LISA GRANDE, UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR IRAQ: The Iraqi security forces, the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people reached a major
milestone in defeating Daesh in Mosul. What we're hoping is that the international community celebrates that, commends that, and provides the
funding that's now necessary to support the 930,000 civilians who have fled and supports the stabilization and reconstruction of the Western part of
the city. There is a lot to do in the weeks and months ahead.
ASHER: Give us specifics in terms of what is the immediate priority right now as the rebuilding process gets under way, especially in terms of
humanitarian assistance.
GRANDE: Of the 930,000 civilians who have fled Mosul since the fighting began last October 700,000 of those civilians are still outside their home.
They're living in 19 emergency camps and sites where they are staying with friends and family. The top priority is making sure that those people have
the protection and the assistance that they need. That means they need shelter. They need food. They need water, sanitation. They need
specialized support if they are the victims of trauma, and they need medical care. That's our top priority.
The United Nations development program has just finalized a damage and loss assessment in western Mosul. The results are staggering. There are 54
residential neighborhoods in western Mosul, 15 of those neighborhoods are completely destroyed, 23 of the districts are moderately damaged. Only 16
are lightly damaged. What we'll be doing in the days ahead as soon as an area is declared safe, is helping the government to reestablish
electricity. Helping them to reestablish water services and sewage services.
We'll be helping the government to put thousands of people to work clearing the city, cleaning the rubble, and helping businesses to reopen. We want
to make sure that the families who are displaced can go home as quickly as possible and start rebuilding their lives. We want them to go home
voluntarily, safely and in dignity. That's our second priority.
ASHER: Lisa, are you confident that the international community will provide the necessary assistance, $1 billion, as soon as possible?
GRANDE: The international community has been very generous in the past two years. They provided money to support the humanitarian operation.
[16:45:00] And they've been providing generous support to help to stabilize the 28 other cities and districts that have been liberated in the
last year and a half. The Iraqi army is a winning army. They've liberated 28 cities and districts in the last year and a half. And the United
Nations development program, with support from the international community, has been helping to stabilize those areas.
We're hoping that the international community continues to provide assistance. The victory that the Iraqi security forces have won on behalf
of all of us -- and this is why we are asking donors to step forward now and stand in solidarity with the people of Iraq and ensure that the funding
that's desperately needed for humanitarian assistance, desperately needed for stabilization is forthcoming.
ASHER: And just quickly before I let you go. For viewers who have been moved by this story, who have seen the devastation and destruction in
Mosul, and want to contribute in some way, where should they go to help?
GRANDE: The United Nations agencies have been providing assistance to Mosul. That's UNICEF, the World Food Program, the United Nations
Population Fund. All these organizations require assistance. And there are many front-line partners. NGOs, both international and national that have
been assisting. Any of these organizations would be lucky to have funding. And all of us need it.
ASHER: Thank you so much, Lisa. Appreciate you sharing that with us. Thank you.
We're getting closer to finding out where the world's top athletes will be heading for the 2024 Olympics. Los Angeles and Paris are about to make
their final bids. A new rule change could leave them both as winners. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back, everybody. After months of fierce competition, now comes the last event. Delegates from Los Angeles and Paris are in
Switzerland to make their final bids to host the 2024 Olympics. Los Angeles is being represented by its Mayor, Eric Garcetti. Paris has sent
in the French President Emmanuel Macron to lend its support. What could be over here. Let me explain how the process began with these games.
The process actually began with five cities vying for the games. You had Hamburg, Budapest, Rome, for example, they all dropped out because
of fears that the games could end up being too expensive, that it would cost too much. Since the field has narrowed to only two, the Olympic
committee is considering changing its rules so that, get this, that the 2024 and 2028 bids can actually be awarded at the same time. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS BACH, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT: If the IOC session should give the green light tomorrow on a double location of the Olympic
Games, 2024 and 2028, this will create a win-win-win situation for Los Angeles, Paris and the entire Olympic movement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[16:50:00] ASHER: You heard him there. A win-win-win situation. Let's talk about the pitches that both cities are making. Los Angeles' pitch is
centered around the idea that it won't need to build venues. It already has a lot of existing stadiums. You remember that it actually had the 1984
Olympics. L.A. also said there's no risk of -- because of that, there is no risk of construction being delayed or cost overruns that have certainly
plagued Olympic hosts in the past. Remember Rio. It also says it can utilize California's tech and entertainment industries to help engage the
world's youth.
Let's talk about Paris. Paris says that it has already secured the funding needed for 2024. It already has the money in place. The city of lights is
marketing itself as the world's capital, the world's capital of sharing and promises to harness social media to promote the games. This will actually
end up being the first games that Paris has hosted in exactly 100 years. The last time it hosted the Olympics was actually 1924. So, 2024 would be
an exact century later. And all of them say that France is behind them. For the French, the bid has become a matter of national pride. Here's our
Jim Bittermann with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Oh, the bands. Oh, the banners. Make no mistake, Paris really wants the 2024
Olympic Games. The local organizing committee is spending 60 million euros, nearly $70 million, on splashy promotions, elaborate shows and
sporty demonstrations to convince the International Olympic Committee and perhaps a little bit their own countrymen, that Paris has the enthusiasm,
infrastructure and engagement financially to stage the games. Everyone is getting involved, from past and president Olympic stars, to the newly
elected president. And even the mayor, who initially was a bit dubious about the whole thing.
(on camera): There is a reason why Paris is putting so much effort into its Olympics bid, why it's put its mayor into a canoe and sending
divers plunging into the river Sein. The reason is the last time the city tried for the Olympics in 2005 the organizers were accused of being
arrogantly over confident. When London got the nod, the disappointment here was palpable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The games of the 30th Olympiad are awarded to the city of London.
BITTERMANN (voice-over): It wasn't just the loss of the 2012 games to ancient rivals across the English Channel that hurt so much, it was the
blow to national pride. This time, organizers are determined not to make the same mistakes. Among other things, they have put sports heroes out in
front.
TONY ESTANGUET, TRIPLE GOLD MEDAL WINNER: We have already all the resources. We have 95 percent of existing venues. We have all the
transport facilities. So, it's time now to really consider that France is the right place to organize the games in '24.
BITTERMANN: Despite the facilities Paris already has in place, organizers plan to spend more than 6 billion euros on new sites and improvements to
existing ones. But Olympics budgets are notoriously unrealistic. When asked if the Olympics would put the taxpayers at risk, the mayor simply
said, we are no longer there, meaning perhaps that things have moved well beyond debating the price tag. And while the promoters claim that costs
can be covered, have coffee with someone who studies such questions and he will tell you that no Olympics since 1984 has made money on the games,
although that may not be the point.
PIM VERSCHUUREN, SPORTS RESEARCHER: It's like when you host a party at your house. You don't do it for the money, you do it to shine. So of
course, it's a major challenge for the city and that they we show, that we want to show, that we will succeed.
BITTERMANN: But to succeed Paris must defeat the only other city in the bidding for the 2024 games, Los Angeles. Three other cities have dropped
out in part or entirely over the question of costs.
(on camera): In any kind of competition, you always have your eye on the competitor to see how far they are behind you. Are you keeping an eye
on Los Angeles?
ESTANGUET: When I was an athlete I was not just like this, just to look ahead. We win on our strengths.
BITTERMANN (voice-over): For Paris, looking forward means towards September for the official announcement of which of the two cities has made
it over the top. Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: The best way to recover from a grueling workout, tucking into a great English breakfast. Your waistline may get fatter, but your wallet
gets thinner. What happens to food prices when Britain leaves the U.K.? That's next.
[16:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: I love the smell of a fry-up. Anything better to wake up to on a Sunday morning than an English breakfast. The bad news is that Brexit
could make the English breakfast a tad more expensive. And that certainly could leave a sour taste in your mouth. Get this. KPMG is estimating big
price rises in imported foods. It says the olive oil could be bubbling up from 3.60 pounds a liter to 4.68. A liter of orange juice jumps from 79
pence to 93 pence after Brexit. Staples like milk, eggs, and bread will actually end up staying the same because they are produced in the U.K.
Breakfast is how we start the day. It's how we end QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. I'm Zain Asher in New York. The news continues on CNN. I'm off to have my
dinner.
END
