Delta Airlines Resumes Limited Departures After System Outage Grounded Flights Worldwide
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and a very warm welcome. I'm Isa Soares. We begin this hour with a massive disruption to global air traffic. Delta Airlines is resuming limited departures after a computer system outage grounded flights worldwide. But cancellations and delays continue. Delta blames an overnight power outage at its Atlanta hub. For the latest on this developing story, we go to our Martin Savidge, inside Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, as you can see there, Samuel Burke outside London's Heathrow Airport. I want to start with Martin at this stage. Martin, at this point, do we know exactly what, whether the computer outage, what led to that? Presumably, they would have had some sort of backup generator.</s>MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly what you would have assumed. We haven't had any more updates as far as what caused this rolling kind of problem for Delta, other than it occurred very early in the morning and that it was a power outage. Whether that was weather-related, because there were storms that were moving through the area, or whether it was something else, we don't know, and why there wasn't some sort of backup power system, and presumably, there was one that did not kick in, and then why weren't there other sort of redundant systems in other cities that were functioning to pick this all up? We don't know. But here's the effect. And this is actually just a small example, as you take a look, the line of people. And these are people who have already been told that, look, they went to the counter, they went to check in, and the kiosk clearly kicked them out and said, "Oh, we've got a problem." And yes, they do have a problem. Let me show you something else, that's rather deceptive, and that's the flight boards here. The hub of Atlanta. You look at those flights, and there are delays and there are some pretty strong delays. But we've also been told there should be cancellations up there. There are hardly any cancellations. So you're not really sure if the flight board is being totally honest with you. And the same problem was apparently with the app. So that's why a lot of people still came to the airport, believing that they were going to go somewhere today. And that remains a big question at this particular hour, Isa.</s>SOARES: Absolutely, people looking in that flight board, perhaps wanting, hoping that flights may take off but being slightly confused. Martin, just stay with us because I want to go to Samuel Burke who is outside London heathrow. Samuel, what have you seen in terms of how passengers there have been affected?</s>SAMUEL BURKE, CNNMONEY BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: A very similar to what Martin is seeing in Atlanta, indeed the boards here are showing that flights are on time. But just after 7:00 a.m. London time, people were waiting and waiting and the lines started to grow. And they even describe them as chaotic lines because people didn't know what was happening. One thing that's interesting to note, this is affecting airports all around Europe but not just Delta Airlines. Some people, of course, are with the partner airlines. They have a ticket that says Virgin or says Air France, but in fact, the flight is actually Delta. And they're not able to get on the flights now. We do have word from Heathrow Airport that they expect flights to start taking off soon for Delta. The system is opening back up. But we do see cancellations across Europe from places like Malaga, in Spain and Madrid, that the flights are canceled for today. So there is going to be a knock-on effect as they try to get so many flights out. One other thing to note, a lot of passengers have told us via Twitter that even though they're not on Delta, their flights haven't been able to get out because the Delta flights that couldn't get out were stuck at the gate taking up the space that should have been for the other airlines, so there's knock on effect throughout the day at the very least here in Europe.</s>SOARES: Samuel, just stay with us I want to go back to Martin. Martin if you heard it from Samuel. Really a crippling effect globally. How is Delta responding today? I mean how long? I think -- can you give me any sense of how long they may take to clear this backlog?</s>SAVIDGE: Well, there was one indication that came from the airline, and it's an ominous one. They are allowing passengers to essentially rebook, if you don't have to travel today, and they will waive your fee for doing that. They're doing that all the way through Friday, which gives you an indication that the cascading impact of this particular power outage could be days and not necessarily just hours. And also, there have been instances where they've actually had to feed passengers on planes that have been sitting in runways, for instance in the Hawaii there was a flight where the crew wisely thought ahead and said we'd better order some pizzas, which they did. And at least it forestalled than any kind of mutiny on board. But these are the problems that you're going to see. 5,000 departures everyday by this airline with a worldwide impact. Even a short disruption to their computer system is going to have a massive impact as far as delays, placement of crews and placement of aircraft. It's not an easy fix, but they say they're working as best they can.</s>SOARES: And I'm sure for many people behind you, Martin, the most important thing is that they are getting to their destination. This is August, a busy time for people right around the world, not just here in Europe, but also in the U.S. Martin, what is the mood there where you are?</s>SAVIDGE: Well, the mood from most people is reasonable, although there was one guy I passed in the parking lot. Clearly, his app told him something, because he just let out a stream of words, and they were all words I couldn't tell you. And so, there are some passengers who right now feel like, "OK, it's a delay." The real question's what's going on at the departure gates? And we can't get out there right now, because many people have already pushed through, and that's where they're really waiting and that's where the frustration could really be building. We'll have to rely on the people out there to let us know. Isa?</s>SOARES: Well, as soon as you know Martin or get a sense of what's happening at the departure gates, Martin as well as Samuel, do come back with Martin Savidge for us at Atlanta, Samuel Burke for us in London. Thank you to you both. Now anger over changing economy has fueled the U.S. presidential election. In just a few hours, Donald Trump will speak to the hash of that anger in a city that's seen those changes up close that's Detroit. And as Jason Carroll reports, in the shift and strategy after really a week spent focused on his rival.</s>DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She is a totally unhinged person. She's unbalanced and all you have to do is watch her.</s>JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump stepping up his blistering attacks on Hillary Clinton, suggesting the former secretary of state is mentally unfit to be president.</s>TRUMP: The people of this country don't want somebody that's going to short circuit up here.</s>CARROLL: Trump using Clinton's own words against her. She continues to repeat a debunk claim that the FBI director said she was truthful about her use of a private e-mail server as secretary of state.</s>HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So, I may have short-circuited it, and for that, I, you know, will try to clarify.</s>CARROLL: Clinton's running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, coming to her defense.</s>TIM KAINE, U.S. DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She said over and over again, I made a mistake, and I've learned from it and I'm going to fix it, and we're going to be real transparent, absolutely.</s>CARROLL: Trump's ramped-up rhetoric against Clinton coming ahead of his speech on economic policy in Detroit, where he is expected to unveil his agenda for revitalizing the American economy, all this as the Republican nominee is coming off one of the worst weeks of his campaign that saw Trump repeatedly engaged in controversies instead of focusing on Clinton and battling slumping poll numbers in a number of key battle ground states.</s>JOHN KASICH, OHIO GOVERNOR, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's going to win parts of Ohio where people are really hurting. But I still think it's difficult if you are dividing to be able to win in Ohio. I think it's really, really difficult.</s>CARROLL: And this morning, a new CNN poll of polls shows Hillary Clinton with a 10 percentage point lead nationally, leaving some in the party to say it's time for Trump to pivot his campaign.</s>JEFF FLAKE, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN: Yet to see Donald Trump change positions. He needs to change, and particularly change the tone and tenor of the debate sufficient to win the election in November.</s>SOARES: That was Jason Carroll reporting. Trump is set to speak in just a few hours. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is in Florida. She's set to speak on her in plan to boost growth by creating jobs. Well, of course will bring you that speech from Donald Trump in a few hours. We take you now Rio de Janeiro, where day three of the summer Olympics is in full swing. The U.S., China and Australia now lead the race for gold with three medals each, 14 more are up for grabs today. Amanda Davies joins now with the latest from Copacabana beach. I'm very jealous of that background, Amanda. And I was looking yesterday, what a busy day it was, a spectacular day, I should say of action. Michael Phelps winning the 19th gold. Surely soon, Amanda, he will run out of space in his trophy cabinet.</s>AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah, Isa there was pretty much a gold rush for team USA in the swimming pool yesterday. And what was fantastic to see was Michael Phelps celebrating gold number 19, Olympic medal number 23, basically as if it was his first. He held the U.S. 4 by 100 freestyle relay team to victory. He swam the second leg his 3-month-old son, Boomer, was there in the stands with his wife. And of course, this is a Michael Phelps who after London had announced he was retiring from the sport four years ago. He decided to come back. He's had a difficult couple of years. But you saw just what it meant to him. And then his USA swimming teammates somewhat younger teammate 19-year-old Katie Ledecky put in a fantastic performance as well. She gave us a taste of what she was capable of, breaking at the Olympic records in the 400 freestyle heat. And then smashed her own world record by nearly two seconds when it came to the finals. So, a first gold of this game for Ledecky to add to the silver she won in the relay on Saturday night. But both Phelps and Ledecky back in action today won somewhat more sour note to tell you about in the pool. There's been a lot of controversy about the Russian swimmer, Yulia Efimova. She was one of those Russian swimmers who was banned after that explosive McLaren report into the doping, state-sponsored doping across Russian sports. She was banned straight away because she had previously been suspended for a doping offense. She served a 16 month ban, which ruled her out. She fought that ban with the Court of Arbitration for Sport and has been allowed to compete. She was not only booed by the crowds at the Aquatic Centre when she came out to compete in the heat of the 100 meters breast stroke. What is now emerging is one of her fellow competitors, the America's Lilly King, actually was heard making comments, waving her finger at Efimova, say in saying, "You're shaking your finger, number one, and you've been caught drugs cheating, I am just not a fan." Both girls take to the pool a little bit later on today for the final of that 100 meters breast stroke. And it really is becoming something of a theme which is continuing through the action here, Isa. We had the Russian beach volleyball men's team booed as they walked out on to the court at the volleyball venue just further down Copacabana last night because of the fallout from this report, which has been dragged out and dealt with, perhaps not in the best of manner manners.</s>SOARES: Amanda Davies there for us watching all the action from Copacabana beach. Thanks very much, Amanda. Now Russia's Paralympic Committee president's calling a ban of its athletes from next month's games a great breach of human rights. The world anti- doping agency supports the decision and now is raising questions about Brazil's team. Nick Paton Walsh has the details now for us from Rio. And Nick, is the blanket ban, first of all, from the paralympic team by the International Olympic Committee, how is it being received there in the country?</s>NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean obviously, the broader issue here is the double standards this ban appears to expose between the stance that the International Olympic Committee took, which was well publicized to extensive Russian reaction predominantly viewing the vast majority of the athletes who've gone through the complicated process of review that the IOC had suggested with subsequently going to be allowed to compete in the games. You hear from Amanda, day by day, increasingly one by one more in fact, 271 of the first count of 287, and number does appear to be growing, a contrast that starkly with the IPC's blanket ban, the terminology the IPC used, talking about disgust at the Russian doping program, referring how they valued medals over morals. And saying how the McLaren report into it was the darkest day in sporting history for quite some time. Now, of course, the Russian reaction has been sort of referred to this as a breech of their human rights. Who have some of the para-athletes themselves saying this is deeply unfair. And its holds part of a -- sort of broader picture you get from Russia politically, where they view this as a bit to try to keep Russia out of the games more generally or sideline done for political reasons. But still, you're left with the fact that the allegations made against the Russian team, Paraolympic and Olympic are the same, yet the IOC chooses this convoluted process that means about two thirds to three quarters of the original hopefuls are now at the games and the IPC bans everyone, Isa?</s>SOARES: And meanwhile, and Nick the allegations of doping now seem to be circling another team, and that the home team, Brazil. Tell us what you've uncovered?</s>WALSH: Well, it's basically a mystery, really, to some degree. Why is it that in -- mostly the crucial months ahead of the games in July, the Brazilian team gave about a third of the number of samples that they would normally have expected to have been given. Now, the Brazilian Ministry of Sport said any allegations of misconduct are ridiculous and absurd and point out the fact that they did give less samples because the laboratory they were using here to process those samples had its accreditation suspended by the world anti-doping watchdog briefly, but long enough for a delay in the testing. But still, that doesn't really seem to account for the fact that samples weren't taken at the level you would normally expect during that period. That effectively leaves a hole to some degree in the Brazilian team's record during that area of about two-thirds of the samples you would normally expect to be collected. So, there could potentially be a hole in the cleanness of their record, unless these samples are taken somewhere else and in the world anti-doping -- watchdog doesn't know about it, neither does the Ministry of Sport. So, a bit of confusion here and it paints a large question mark over the host team here, who of course, want to avoid scandal at all particular cost. As I say they deny any wrongdoing, but the world anti-doping watchdog has referred to this as an unacceptable practice. So, it is strange that we now -- whatever we do, don't appear to have enough samples in this period of time to satisfy the world anti-doping watchdog, Isa?</s>SOARES: Yeah, dark cloud still hanging over these doping allegations. Nick Paton Walsh there with that exclusive, thank you very much, Nick. Coming up right here, a suicide attack on a hospital in Pakistan leaves dozens dead. Many of them were lawyers. We'll have a live report for you. Plus, Japan's aging emperor speaks to his people in a rare televised address. His heartfelt message and fears about his health are next. Do stay right here.