melinda. i want to talk about changing the world. i remember sitting down with bill in paris a couple of years ago where the world was coming together to hammer out an agreement, small agreement to save the planet. by taking meaningful action to tackle climate change. it's a threat thmay define the contours of this century more than just about anything else. here is the interesting thing. bill saw this not simply as a challenge but also as an opportunity. and i remember him in sort of a matter of fact way saying well, we're going to just have to go ahead and invent some new technologies. which i said i agree. let's do that. although he knows more than me about inventing new technologies. but his tone was yes, this is hard. but we can figure it out. it's hard, but it can be done.

and that spirit, a spirit that says to quote i guess myself, yes we can, rather than -- that spirit rather than a spirit of despair is the motor by which we've been able to see real progress and reducing the pace of carbon emission increases here in the u.s. and even if at the current moment the federal government is not as engaged in these efforts as i would like, nevertheless, progress continues because of the efforts of people like bill and a whole host of entrepreneurs and universities and cities and states. they are making change around energy policy in america separate and apart from what

government is doing. and ha gives me confidence that we can continue to make progress. and my broader point here is that you tend 0 believe when bill says we can do something that we can do it. and when all of you stand up and say this is something we can do, that spirit is infectious and it's exactly what we need right now. we do face extraordinary challenges. we've heard many of them in your discussions today. you know the nature of these challenges from your work. growing economic inequality, changing climate, terrorism, mass migration, still too much extreme poverty, still too many girls who are denied an education, the rise of nationalism and xenophobia and a

politics that says it's not we but us and them. the politics that threatens to turn good people away from the kind of collective action that has always driven human progress. so these are rechallenges. and we can't sugar coat them. they're going to take a long time to solve. but that can't discourage any of us from the belief that individually and collectively, we can make a difference. we can make things better. and rather than be daunted by those challenges, those challenges should inspire us. and excite us because it gives us an opportunity to make our mark on the world in ways that we haven't even yet scratched the surface of. we have to reject the notion that we're suddenly gripped by forces that we cannot control. we've got to embrace the longer and more optimistic view of history and the part that we play in it.

and if you are skeptical of such optimi optimism, i will say something that may sound controversial. i used to say this to my staff in the white house, young interns who would come in, any group you have young people that i met with, and that is that by just about pre measure, america is better, and the world is better than it was 50 years ago. 30 years ago. or even ten years ago. and i know that statement doesn't jibe with the teddy stream of bad news and cynic yich that we're fed through television and twitter, but think about it. i was born, i mean i know i have gray hair but i don't consider myself that old. but i was born at a time when women and people of color were systematically routinely

excluded from enormous portions of american life. today, women and minorities have risen up the ranks of business and politics and everywhere else. and even if we still have miles to travel and innumerable laws and hearts and minds to change, the shift in what this country is and what it means is astonishing. remarkable and it's happened when you measure it against the scope of human history in an instant. just since i graduated from college, crime rates, teen birth rates, dropout rates, the share of people living in poverty have dropped and in some cases dropped dramatically. the share of americans with college education is up. despite a massive global recession in the final years of my presidency, the uninsured

rate reached a new low, median household income reached a new high. that's here in the united states. worldwide, our progress is even more remarkable. and bill can rattle off these sticks better than i can. but over the past 100 years, we've come from a world where only a small fraction of women could vote to a world where almost woman can. since the 1950s, the global average life expectancy hayes grown by more than 20 years. since 1990, we have cut extreme poverty and childhood mortality in half, keep in mind, i was in law school in 1990. it seems like yesterday. since 2000, we evolved from a world without marriage equality to one where it's a reality of more than two dozen countries. all of this has happened in such

a steady march that sometimes we have a tendency to take it for granted. but i often ask when i meet with young people, if you had to choose any moment in history in which to be born and you didn't know in advance whether you were going to be male or female, what country you were going to be from, what your status was, you'd choose right now. because the world has never been healthier or wealthier or better educated or in many ways more tolerant or less violent than it is today. fewer people are dying young. more people are living not only longer but better. more girls are in school. more dulls can read. more children get the vaccines that they need. despite the enormous conflicts that break our hearts around the

world, it's demonstrable that fewer people are being killed in wars and conflicts than ever before. this would be the time you'd want to be. showing up on this planet. and these trends are real. they do not make us complacent, but had he should spur us to action because it shows despite the naysayers and the cynicism that in fact, change can happen. they're not the result of mysterious forces of chance. they happen because countless people like you toiling for many years chose to make this progress. some like bill and melinda have enormous wealth and influence. others like justin trudeau who i know addressed you earlier have formal political offices but the majority of people who made these advances were citizens.

doctors. nurses. entrepreneurs, clergy, moms, community leaders. activists, union leaders who mobilized and organized and voted and innovated. and pushed for change. and by the way, they knew at every step of the way that they had not get everything they wanted as fast as they wanted. they knew that progress required struggle and perseverance and discipline and faith. they knew that sometimes for every two steps forward, you'll take a step back. but they made things better. and this is something i always had to emphasize to my staff when i was president, better is good. you laugh, but sometimes people forget that. i will take better every time.

so that's what's needed today. the engagement of everyone who wants to see a better future for our children. and it can be frustrating. i'll take an example here in the united states over the past eight years, thousand upon thousands of americans threw themselves into the collective effort of reforming our health care system. those of you who live in countries that already have universal health care are trying to figure out what's the controversy here. i am, too. these people -- [ applause ] >> but you know, the folks who did the work, it wasn't just policy wonks. it wasn't just politicians. it was moms and dads. people who had the experience of a sick child or crushing medical bills that threatened to bankrupt them.

maybe a parent who was lost to cancer that had that person got a regular checkup might have been caught earlier. and those voices from every walk of life in every corner of the country against all odds made a difference. and for the first time, more than 90% of americans know the security of health insurance. paying more for insurance or being denied insurance browse because of a pre-existing condition or because you're a woman is not a thing anymore. weigh got rid of that. people are alive today because of it. and that's progress. now, the legislation that we passed was full of things that still need to be fixed. it wasn't perfect. but it was better. and so when i epeople trying to undo that hard-won progress for the 50th or 60th time with bills

that would raise costs or reduce coverage, or roll back protections for older americans or people with pre-existing conditions, the cancer survivor, the expecting mom or the child with autism, or asthma, for whom coverage once again would be almost unattainable, it is aggravating. and all of this being done without any demonstrable economic or acto youtarily or plain common sense rationale, it frustrates. and it is certainly frustrating to have to mobilize every couple of months to keep our leaders from inflicting real human suffering on our stuns. but typically, that's how progress is won. and how progress is maintained on every issue. we have to stand up for each other, recognize that progress is never inevitable.

that it often can be fragile. it's in need of constant renewal and our individual progress and our collective progress depends on our willingness to roll up our sleeves and work. [ applause ] and not be afraid to work. so in conclusion, each of us can make a difference and i know i'm appreciate together choir here because otherwise you wouldn't be a goalkeeper. but many of you are young and maybe have only seen forward momentum and may not have seen backward momentum yet. many of you may confront hurdles and road blocks and disappointments in the future. and when that happens, that's

the test. the test is not how do you feel when things are going good or when you are at a cool conference in new york with bill and melinda gays and will.i.am. right? the test is when you're in the field and you're on the ground and you are doing work and people are resisting or misunderstanding or purposely undermining efforts that you know can make a difference and how do you respond to that? and what i'm suggesting here today is that your response has to be to reject cynicism and reject pessimism and push forward with a certain infectious and relentless optimism, not blind optimism. not one that ignores the scale and the scope of challenges but that hard-earned optimism that's rooted in the stories of very

real progress that have occurred throughout human history. and recognition that our successes even though sometimes they're small or incomplete accumulate. they build. and they create a trajectory that's better. and will mean some girl somewhere getting an education that otherwise she wouldn't have had. it will mean some farmer being able to cultivate a crop to feed his family and if enough of them do it, feed a nation. that's what you're fighting for at every moment. because each new generation stands on the successes of the previous generation. there's like a relay rice that we're running. each generation reaches up standing on that previous generation, and bends that arc of history in the direction of

more freedom and more opportunity and more justice. that's why i spend so much time when i was president convening young leaders on pre continent that i visited. that's why in my post presidency, my emphasis is going to be on training the next generation of leaders to take their own crack at changing the world through the obama foundation which will be based in chicago but will have projects and programs and digital networks all across the globe. and i'm hoping i get a chance to work with some of you because i have great faith in you. just as i know bill and melinda have great faith in you. i'm certain if you keep pushing forward, then america and the world are going to be just fine. thank you very much. >> the former president barack obama delivering a major speech, an optimistic speech but clearly criticizing the current president of the united states, the republican congress for

going after the affordable care act, his health care legacy, a very strong statement from the president saying yes, the legislation that he says the u.s. passed was not perfect, but certainly made things better 90%, he said of the american people now at least have the health care insurance and he said it's very aggravating, very frustrating that republicans in congress once again trying to change that. let's bring in our cnn politics reporter id tore at large chriscy liza, juan na summers and cnn political director david chalian. david, up to you first to give us your assessment. it's not often we're hearing from president obama now days. we did hear from him. didn't mention trump by name, didn't mention the republicans name but his message was clear. >> knows the name of the health care law and his is on it. it's obamacare. he understands it as his legacy. you can hear it in the way he describes it.

what i sort of envisioned when he was talking about his aides sometimes having to tell them that better good and that they shouldn't be you know any kind of progress shouldn't be the enemy of the perfect, there were many battles like that as he was trying to put this bill together and get this passed. and he is so -- you are so right to note he has been so reluctant to immerse himself in the political to and fro of the day of what's going on on capitol hill or the latest trump tweet on something. but his aides have always said throughout the entirety of the trump presidency thus far when some of his legacy items are on the line he's going to step in. they understood as the former president did the timing of this as the republicans are trying to rush this through right now, you see the democratic grassroots are just beginning to mobilize to once again try to keep this at bay and barack obama understood keenly the power of his voice adding to this argument at this moment of time

and sought to do it. i don't think this signals some new he's going to weigh in all the time but he saw now is the moment to get this message out with his very loud voice. >> there is this is possibility that this graham/cassidy legislation in the senate could get 50 votes, get the vice president to break a tie, move to the house of representatives. it would pass presumably then if the speaker and president have their way and the president would sign it into law in effect changing so much of what he worked so hard to achieve, the affordable care act, obamacare. >> absolutely. it's very clear from listening to obama speak understands the gravity of the moment. there was no human rationale for what republicans which he did not name want to do to this legislation and slows he's aware of the timing. there are fewer than two weeks to make this happen. republicans will be trying to figure out what makes sense for their district. i think former president obama weighed in because he realizes

there is so little time. we've heard senator rand paul of kentucky talking about this. there are a number of industry groups house have said we have concerns about this. we've heard a number of moderate governors that this could leave millions in their state without insurance. this is a certainly a pressure cooker moment for washington. >> the deadline is september 30th. after then, you need 60 votes. democrats are not on board. >> they're not going to get 60 votes. there's no health care thing that -- they can get 50. if you have repeal and replace, it's not getting 60 votes. one sidebar that is important,ed you think given the dynamic of the 2019 senate playing feed which is ten democratic senators in states donald trump won, you would think that there would be pressure if we started this debate over again. that they would feel pressure some of them to maybe find a way

to be for something on health care. they're not. joe manchin, heidi heitkamp, joe donnelly all these people don't seem compelled. >> you have to be for something. this bill has been so unpopular that the pressure is off because there's no pressure at home. >> to dave's point, after mansion was against the last one, his poll numbers went up. one other thing i was struck by in the obama speech, less nuts and bolts and more big picture. obama was elected on the two most 50,000 themes possible. hope and change. he is going to change politics in this country. this is not the first time he's made this argument. in a way his legacy he views it is incrementalism, not huge change but better than when i started. it's a fascinating thing because a guy who got elected on huge ideas and i think in his own mind this idea he was going to break the washington system and

rebuild is it now saying better good. i think that certainly in the second half of his time in office was his the way in which he thought about gettin things done, that perfect is never attainable in a washington anything close to what we have now. >> perfect be the enemy of the good. that's what bill clinton used to say all the time when he was president of the united states. very optimistic speech by the president. still a long way to go. don't change health care, that's his bottom line message right now. why he decides to do something unusual during the first eight, nine months of the new president speak out and be rather critical of what's going on. thank you very much. there are other major events unfolding right now. we're watching desperate rescues under way in mexico city for survivors of the deadly earthquake there. these are some pictures from outside a school where people are desperately looking for kids. missing since the quake struck. also, a monster hurricane is now slamming puerto rico. the most powerful storm to hit the island in nearly 90 years.

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want to go right to miguel marquez. looks like a dramatic moment. they're trying to rescue children at the school in mexico city. miguel, you're there on the scene for us. update viewers. >> reporter: yeah, hope here is measured by silence. i want to show you what's happening right now. you can see people with their hands in the air, rescuers have asked the entire crowd, hundreds and hundreds of people around these blocks to be quiet. it is pin drop quiet in this area right now. you will hear the sound of whistles blowing just down the block where they are trying to get the attention of anybody under that rubble. they believe there's a young girl who is still alive. here's -- so then it's business as usual.

now goes back to business as usual. the entire crowd completely quiet and hen goes back to business as usual. they have a thermal scanner under there. they believe that a young girl is still alive under the rubble, 21 children have perished in this particular location. three are still missing as well as one adult. and it is -- again, we go back to silence. this has been happening now very, very rapidly in the last say half hour, they will be silent for a few minutes and they get back to work. clearly they think they are getting close to somebody under that rubble and they hope against hope that whoever it is is still alive. wolf? >> miguel, this presumably is going on not just in mexico city but elsewhere around mexico. this earthquake that has so devastated the country coming on the heels of an even bigger earthquake only a week and a half earlier. given us a sense of the mood

where you are there in mexico city. >> reporter: it is amazing to drive through the streets here. the streets, parts of mexico are completely normal like nothing happened and you're driving down the street and ean enormous crowd of volunteers and mexican marines and soldiers and people digging and they surround a building that is completely pancaked and they are trying to get in there literally hand by hand, bucket by bucket. this particular location, they're very, very organized. they have carpenters at the ready. they have heavy equipment at the ready. and when they need something, they shout out for it here. suddenly it appears and goes into the -- into the rubble and tries -- this he try to shore it up and help get a little bit deeper every single inch clearly matters at this point. they have not been using the heavy machinery so far on the building itself. just loading it up and then

dumping it into dump trucks here. but every minute that goes by is critical and they clearly think that they have -- that they are on to something there because every few minutes, they ask for silence and then they begin digging again. then it's silence and digging again. hope is silence in mexico today. wolf? >> dozens of buildings in central mexico collapsed. at least 225 people have been killed in the 7.1 magnitude earthquake. where you are, 21 elementary school students found in the rubble of a collapsed building, but as an you've been pointing out, there's hope maybe one young little girl is still alive. that's what they're searching for so desperately. we'll get back to you and update us hopefully with some good news, miguel marquez is on the scene for news mexico city. i want to bring in chad meyers, our meteorologist. chad, it's pretty extraordinary. two earthquakes, an 8.0

magnitude earthquake, a couple weeks ago and now this 7.1 earthquake. pretty close together for huge quakes like this right? >> yes, but likely not from the same fault line and not from the same real reason, one being a slip strike fault, the other a seduction fault. here's mexico city here. >> hold on one second. president trump is speaking at the united nations right now. just want to hear what he's saying. > senegal, uganda, and south africa. in particular, i want to thank president konde representing the african union. thank you. thank you. in this room, i see parents for promoting prosperity and peace on a range of economic, humanitarian, and security issues. we hope to extend our economic partnerships with countries who

are committed to self-reliance and to fostering opportunities for job creation in both africa and the united states. africa has tremendous business potential, i have so many friends going to your countries trying to get rich. i congratulate you. they're spending a lot of money. but it does, it has a tremendous business potential. and representing huge apartments of different markets and for american firms, it's really become a place that they have to go that they want to go. six of the world's ten fastest growing economies are in africa. increasing american trade and investment across diversity industries are including agriculture, energy, transportation, health care, travel, and tourism will further transform lives throughout the continent.

secretary tillerson and the u.s. millennium challenge corporation are already considering an investment worth hundreds of millions of dollars in coat ivory which has made inpressive economic refors. done a tremendous job. we hope that african firms like the company sasol consider making investments in the united states, sasol is building a $9 billion petrochemical plant in louisiana. which will bring new jobs to the state and really hard working americans will be manning those jobs. but we cannot have prosperity if we're not healthy. we will continue our partnership on critical health initiatives. uganda has made incredible strides in the battle against

hiv/aids. in guinea and nigeria, you fought a horrifying ebola outbreak. nam bia's het system is increasingly self-sufficient. my secretary of health and human services will be traveling to africa to promote our global health security agenda. yet, we know that our prosperity depends above all on peace. the united states will partner with the countries and organizations like the african union that lead successful efforts to end violence, to prevent the spread of terrorism, and to be respond to humanitarian crises. i commend your troops currently serving in the field, very brave. very, very brave. what they're going through. as you well know, too. people are suffering from conflict in africa. in the central african republic,

the congo, libya, mali, sonal malia, and south sudan among others, they're going through some very, very tough and very dangerous times. terrorist groups such as isis, al shabaab, boko haram, and al qaeda also threaten african peace. the united states is proud to work with you to eradicate terrorist safe havens to cut off their finances, and to discredit their depraved ideology. and a number of you have told me actually last night that we've been doing a very good job over the last sim or seven months in particular. we're closely monitoring and deeply disturbed by the ongoing violence in south sudan and in the congo. millions of lives are an risk and we continue to provide humanitarian assistance.

but real results in halting this catastrophe will require an african-led peace process and the sincere, really sincere commitment of all parties involved. and i know you're working on that and you're working on that very hard. to assist in these efforts i'm sending ambassador nikki hilly to africa to discuss avenues of conflict and resolution and most importantly prevention. lastly, i want to discuss our partnership against a global challenge. today, the world faces an enormous security threat from north korean regime. we must all stand together and be accountable in implementing united nations sanctions and resolutions in response to north korea's hostile and menacing actions. we believe that a free,

independent and democratic nation in all cases is the best vehicle for human happiness and success. thank you for joining me for this critical discussion of the challenges and the opportunities facing our nations. africa i have to say is a continent of tremendous, tremendous potential. the outlook is bright. i look forward to hearing from you and your advice during the meal. i thought rather than just eating, we'll have long discussions. and i look forward to that very much. but i also look forward to getting to know so many of you and so many of you i do know. and it's an honor. it's an honor. and i really want to congratulate you. growing very fast. economically and in every other way. you've done an electric job. you've had some tremendous obstacles placed in your path.

but have you done really an absolutely imcredible job. i want to thank you and i look forward to our discussion. thank you. thank you all very much. >> president trump speaking at a luncheon with african leaders at the u.n. ub. this is the week of the u.n. general assembly. he's making the rounds. you see his secretary of state rex tillerson right there next to him. they're continuing their diplomacy. we're following two major natural disasters, very, very closely right now. the earthquake in mexico, mexico city and outside of mexico city. this is a school where we've been having extensive coverage, lots of children already found dead. but there is hope one young girl may still be alive at this elementary school. they're working desperately to rescue this young girl. our own miguel marquez is on the scene. we'll go back there live shortly and get an update. we're also following hurricane maja that is now pummeling as we

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you're not stuck in a network... because there aren't any. so don't wait. call now to request your free decision guide following breaking news. battle lines are draw on the health care fight here in washington as republicans move ahead with their next effort to try to end obamacare. one of the cosponsors is louisiana senator bill cassidy who is now being called out by late night comedian jimmy kimmel. listen to there. >> this guy, bill cassidy, just lied right to my face. >> do you believe that every american regardless of income should be able to get regular checkups, maternity care, et cetera, all you have those things that people who have health care get and need? >> yep. >> so yep is washington for no, i guess. this is a bad bill. but don't take my word for it. here are just some of the

organizations that oppose this graham/cassidy bill. american cancer society, the american diabetes association, american heart association, american lung association, the 5r9 rights fungs, cystic fibrosis, als association, march of dimes, ms society, children's hospital of la. basically any group you've ever given money to thinks this is a bad idea. do you trust them or do you. >> you heard him. quis cuomo asked senator cassidy about jimmy's criticism. here's his response. >> i'm sorry he does not understand. under graham/cassidy, more people will have coverage. we protect those with pre-existing conditions. >> our bill gives the governor responsibility which she or he may not want. that's the best way to get people covered. >> at the same time, there's this from the president of the united states. he's going after kentucky republican senator rand paul who is on the record against the new

effort by senate republicans to repeal obamacare. so today, president trump went on the record against senator paul tweeting this, rand paul is a friend of mine but is he such a negative force when it comes to fixing health care. graham/cassidy bill is great. ends obamacare. senator rapid paul joins us now live from capitol hill. so let me get your response, senator, to what the criticism you're receiving from president. >> you know, actually i still think i'm a very positive force and actually positivetively working with the president on different ideas. idea i've been working with the president for about six months on is much better than graham/cassidy, that would be allowing people to buy across state lines, insurance through a group. if you're a carpenter or plumber you get to join a big association and through that association get cheaper insurance and some of the protects people want from their insurance. i continue to work with the president on that. i'm just not with him on graham/cassidy because graham/cassidy keeps most of the

obamacare spending and it sort of reshuffles it. so instead of obamacare funding going to california, it gets reshuffled to republican states. and so i see it really more as sort of petty partisanship. hey, let's reshuffle the deck and give the money to the republican states but let's keep the obamacare spending. my concern is the debt. we have a $700 billion debt. how are we going to pay for all this. >> but as you know, there's a deadline, september 30th. after september 30th, under the complex rules of the u.s. senate, you can't just get anything passed with 50 votes. you need 60 votes. in other words, you'll need dras as the 52-48 republican majority in the u.s. senate and on some of the other specific legislation that you want like being able to buy health insurance across state lines, you definitely need 60 votes for that. do you have -- is it realistic at all to think yao be able to achieve what you're calling for? >> the interesting thing is we've been working with the trump administration on this for

six months now. we think they can doing it through presidential pressure interpretation of existing law. there was a las bassed in the 1970s that allows groups to form across state lines. many corporation dozen this. this is the one area of the insurance market where premiums have been rel particularly flat. we think the administration is going to in the next week or two issue a ruling saying individuals are going to be able to buy across state lines. we think they can do it without net bill or legislation from congress. here's the thing. my proposal i'm working with on the president with costs zero dollars. cassidy graham bill is going to spend a trillion dollars and keeps the obamacare spending but just reshuffles who gets it. that is not what i promised voters. i promised repeal. i didn't promise i would keep most of it and reshuffle who gets the proceeds. >> what i hear you saying is this legislation doesn't pass, the president will begin using executive orders, executive decisions to change the current

obama law. is that what you're suggesting. >> not really. we don't think it has anything to with the obamacare law. the law did not prepresent vent from buying across state lines. it actually is a 1974 law an acris sa law. we think that the law has been misinterpreted and could be reinterpreted by the trump administration to allow many people, maybe you join a credit union. maybe you join the restaurant association and maybe people who work in the fast food industry a lot of whom don't have insurance now could get it by buying it through one of these co-ops because they could get inexpensive insurance. i'm offering freedom of choice. cassidy and graham are offering just a big government variation of obamacare that sticks it to the democrat states and takes the money and gives it to republican states but really keeps most of the obamacare spending. and that's not something i'm

for. >> is there any wiggle room at all in this legislation in this graham/cassidy bill? are there any changes that potentially that could make between now and next week that would result in a yea vote from you? >> there are several things in it i would agree to. if they take the things good in it, we could keep expansion of the health savings account. getting rid of mandate taxes and penalties and medicaid reform, i'm for all three of those. i'm not for the spending proposal, not for saying hey, let's keep a trillion dollars worth of obamacare spend package i'm not for the spending. that's my main objection to the bill. if they want to make it less about spending and more about repealing, i'm for repeal. >> paul ryan says whatever the senate passes the house will pass next week without change and send it to the president for his signature. what's your message to the speaker of the house, paul ryan? >> the speaker's been wrong many

times before on counting votes. i would have him ask everybody in california, every republican, there are 14 republican congress men, are they happy with the fact that the new formula will take 27 billion from california? look, there's a lot of republican congress men in new york and california about, 25 of them. they're in very competitive districtses. are they willing to go home and say i just voted for a bill that will take billions of dollars from california and new york and give it to mississippi. it's a formula fight. a food fight over money. we're going to reshuffle the deck but it is not a principled repeal of obamacare. >> but you understand by your opposing graham/cassidy and maybe let's say two other republicans also oppose it, obamacare stays the law of the land. that's what is angering the president right now, in effect, you're supporting obamacare. very quickly your response. >> i would say i think voters are smart. the republicans in my state know

that nobody's been a louder voice for repealing this and they know that seven republicans who said they would repeal voted for repeal so when i go home i don't expect people will look for me, i think they'll look at the seven senators who weren't from kentucky, who were republicans, voted to repeal and then switched their minds. if anybody wants to blame anybody, there's a lot of blame to go around there. >> senator rand paul of kentucky, thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> i should point out like senator cassidy, you also are a physician, so you've dealt your whole professional career in these issues involving health care. thanks very much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. we're staying on top of the breaking news, the race to find survivors right now after a devastating earthquake that hits mexico with young children among the victims. cnn's live coverage will continue in just a moment. ffic ) con artists... they'll try anything to get your medicare card number. so they can steal your identity, commit medicare fraud. what can you do?

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["l♪vwho can turn the worldan jeton with her smile?s♪ ♪ who can take a nothing day, ♪ ♪ and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? ♪ ♪ well it's you girl, and you should know it. ♪ with each glance and every little movement you show it. ♪ you're gonna make it after all. ♪ it takes a long time to get to the top... you're gonna make it after all. ♪ but with america's best you're gonna make it after all. ♪ bumper-to-bumper limited you're gonna make it after all. ♪ warranty, the all-new volkswagen tiguan will be there every step ♪ ow! ♪ of the way. president trump says he's made a decision on whether or

not to scrap the iran nuclear deal but he won't say what his decision is. meanwhile iran's president says it would be a big mistake for the u.s. to pull out of the agreement. he also criticized president trump's remarks at the united nations. >> translator: it will be a great pity if this agreement were to be destroyed by rogue newcomers to the world of politics. by violating its international commitments, the new u.s. administration only destroys its own credibility and undermines international confidence in negotiating with it. we are unmoved by threats and intimidation. >> let's bring in our cnn national security commentator, mike rogers, former chairman of the house intelligence committee. so what's your reaction to president rouhani's comments? >> expected. iran right after the nuclear deal and when they did get a new infusion of cash into iran didn't use that money

internally, they used it to promote terrorism in places like yemen, iraq, syria, and around the region. and that destabilization factor is why i think it was met with certainly condemnations from iran of the benefit they have gotten from the deal but very positive from saudi arabia and other sunni-led nations in the region who were thinking, hey, it's about time. so it was an interesting time for this speech. there were good things and bad things in the speech, i think. but what it did is try to realign our allies in the middle east, which was really were chafed under the whole iran deal, sunni versus shia, iran versus the arab league partners that we had. and so that realignment i think happened a little bit in this speech. it reinforced the united states' position to our sunni allies in the region. at the same time, certainly poked iran a little bit. >> but the other allies like britain and france that worked with the u.s. in achieving this nuclear deal during the obama

administration, they want it to go forward and so far at least twice the president has authorized the secretary of state to certify iran is in full compliance with the agreement. they have to do it again by october 15th. do you think the president is going to scrap it and risk the wrath of the other allies who worked to put this deal together? >> well, i wouldn't scrap it if i were the president of the united states if i didn't have my allies on the security council with me. >> they're not on board. >> well, at least that we know of. if he's not doing this without that background back room diplomacy trying to get some support for a few changes in the agreement, then he's going to make a big mistake and i think we'll regret just an out-and-out pullout without our allies on board. that's a tall order. they have lots of economic benefit coming out of their relationship, iran -- excuse me, france and other nations, germany, other nations are dealing with iran in a pretty significant way economically. so they have different pulls and tugs on why they don't want it to go forward, but they would all agree, i will say, wolf,

they will all agree that iran is acting irrationally in the neighborhood. >> that's not directly related to the nuclear agreement. >> that's correct. >> and the concern is that if the u.s. pulls out, then the iranians immediately start with the centrifuges and they resume their entire nuclear program. >> it is. this is an interesting diplomatic todconundrum. if they pull out of the dplipmatdpli diplomatic agreement, they lose their allies which means we get right back into the same spot. >> the president says he's made a decision, won't tell us what it is but we'll know soon enough, definitely by october 15th. mike rogers, thanks very much. coming up we'll get back to the breaking news. praying for a miracle. a scramble to find survivors after a major earthquake hits mexico. elementary schoolchildren among the victims. you're looking at live pictures. plus direct hit. hurricane maria makes landfall

in puerto rico as a category 4 monster storm. a look at the ferocious winds and rain. millions of people are taking shelter. we'll go live to the island.

hi there, i'm brooke baldwin. you're watching cnn. we've got this frantic search under way for survivors from this magnitude 7.1 earthquake in mexico city. these are live. chilling pictures here as rescues are under way at this crumbling school. inside, children missing since the quake hit. with just a handwritten list of names, people there are on their hands and knees using hands as shovels, anything they can to get through to them because waiting is just simply not an option. rescuers say they can actually hear the sound of this one little girl crying out. they are using a