is a true reflection of the individual. only a dignity memorial professional can celebrate a life like no other. find out how at sanfranciscodignity.com. ♪ this is cnn breaking news. >> troubling new questions about the man who gunned down 26 people at a texas church. why was he allowed to buy a weapon after being court martialed and discharged from the air force for assaulting his wife and child? >> that mental health is the problem here. this was a very -- based on preliminary reports, a very deranged individual. a lot of problems over a long period of time.

president trump on his trip to asia says shooting is not a gun situation. it's a mental health problem. that plus much more on his high stakes meetings in japan. but before he hits south korea, trade an important issue as is the north korean nuclear threat. good evening and welcome to "early start." i'm dave briggs. >> and i'm christine romance. it is 2:00 a.m. in sutherland springs, texas. just five weeks after las vegas, just five weeks after the deadliest mass shooting in modern american history, another community shattered, torn apart by gun violence. at least 26 people killed in sunday's church shooting in the small texas town of sutherland springs near san antonio. about 20 others wounded with victims ranging in age from 5 years old to 72. >> the shooter, 26-year-old devin patrick kelley is dead. kelley was court martialed by the air force and given a bad conduct discharge in 2012. he leaves behind an unfolding

mystery. what set him off on this rampage. let's bring in cnn's diane gallagher. so many questions and very few answers. good morning to you. >> good morning, dave, christine. that is the situation we're looking at here. we're still trying to figure it out, piece it together. you can probably see behind me plenty of media and plenty police. deputies roped off the entire area around the church, about 15 hours after the shooting. they say about 11:20 in the morning somebody spotted that suspect wearing a tactical-type vest, a ballistic vest at the gas station across the street. he walked to the church and opened fire before he even got inside. while he was in there, he committed the worst mass shooting in the history of the state of texas. but on his way out, a neighbor, a man who lived next door to the church got his own gun, fired,

engaged upon that suspect. they fond him eight miles away where he crashed his vehicle. he died of a gunshot wound. they're still trying to figure out if it was self-inflicted or if it was from that neighbor. they say they found additional firearms from his vehicle. but we're told by an official, a source that says he used an ar- -- a ruger ar-556 in the shooting in the church, and that that was purchased at an academy outdoor sports back in april of 2016 in san antonio, texas. now you mention that court-martial. he was broken down in rank by the air force. he received a bad conduct discharge. and it was for two counts. one count of assault on his spouse. one account of assault on his child. the question now is how he managed to pass a background check. how he got his hands on that weapon. of course law enforcement still trying to sort of sift through that right now because sitcom

plex, dave, christine. part of the fact this is a military situation. we're trying to peel back the layers there. but again, this is somebody who lived in new braunfels, texas, we're told. that's relatively close to the area. maybe about 45 minutes, maybe an hour from here. the people here in this community, they want those answer. but at this point right now, we're talking about 26 people killed. christine, dave, that's about 4% of the population of sutherland springs. >> such a small town. no doubt everyone knows someone who was in that church. diane gallagher live for us in sutherland springs. >> this has left the tight knit texas community struggling for answers even as they rely on their faith and on each other. >> and be with us here as we learn to deal with today's developments. >> my heart is broken. i mean i would never think it can happen.

and it does happen. it doesn't matter where you're at. in a small community real quiet and everything. and look at this, what can happen. we were flabbergasted. there is no reason for something like that to place, especially here where everybody is family. we all help each other out. we all know each other. this is just devastating. >> joining us now on the phone right now, cnn law enforcement analyst cedric alexander, past president of the national organization of black law enforcement executives. good morning to you, cedric. let's start with this investigation. where does it turn right now? >> well, they'll continue with what they've been doing throughout the night. but certainly what's going to be important here is try to make some determination as to what the motive was behind this horrible incident which these people were injured and killed. it is still early into the investigation. but even though from the time that had occurred, we have gain in order information into his

military history, his family history. but to that community, it is just devastating, it's shocking. and as you heard some of the citizens there say, this type of community where we went -- everyone know each other, support each other, it's very, very different. but here let me say something. rather it's a small community, a large community. this type of violence by someone who appears or may have some type of mental health, may have had some type of mental health condition going on is devastating to any community. >> let's talk a little bit about his background. we know that he had -- he was in the military, in the air force. he was court-martialed in 2012. he brought this weapon in 2016. that court-martial was for assault on his wife and his child. he was demoted. received a bad conduct discharge. why wouldn't that show up on a background check? >> well, you would think that it would. but of course we don't know all

the circumstances behind what may have occurred in his particular case, particularly being this the military. so we don't know whether this was some kind of flaw in the system or rather just did not show up out here as we would think it would, if it had been anyone else. but certainly that being a case of domestic violence where he was arrested and appeared he had been incarcerated for some period of time and then discharged. i'm quite sure that's going to be one of the things in which the authorities there are going to look into and determine how that was able to happen. and maybe we need to look at how we close that gap to make sure that that type of thing doesn't happen again. >> and to christine's point, cedric, are crimes committed in the military part of a criminal background check regarding purchase of weapons? >> well, you would think that they are.

but here again, i cannot say with any certainty whether or not they are not. but you would certainly believe that any crime that was committed in the military, that it would be available to for background checks. so it very easily could have been a flaw in the system when this occurred. but unfortunately, it did get past us. and i think that's a very important question that needs to be asked. people are going to be asking that question all day. >> let me ask you this. the president is in tokyo in japan. and he said this mass shooting is not a gun situation. it's a mental health problem. so many of these cases, and frankly, they happen with great frequency. can you unwind the mental health problem with the guns? they seem to be the same story. >> well, they always seem to be the same story.

and certainly the more recent cases that we have seen going into las vegas, if you will, there is a mental health component. now where that begins and where gun ownership begins, it's still a very, very blurry line. because everyone with a mental health illness is certainly not violent. however, if we -- for those who stand by and exercise their second amendment right, they certainly will tell you that they have the right to own weapons. and even people who have mental health history, we may be able to determine whether they can own a weapon or not. you know, that's the crux of the issue here. and i think we have to be very caref careful. >> but we have to know more, as

much as we can about a person who has a mental health issue. if they have a known mental health history, that is easy. but as you well know, someone can suffer a mental health issue without any previous history. they can go into a deep depression. they can have a schizophrenic episode, something traumatic happens in their life. it can happen to anyone at any time. and then they get their hands on a weapon. but i think we have to be very careful how we think about those two things together. and you've got to be able to look at each case individually in terms of who got that weapon at that time and under what circumstances. >> cedric alexander, thank you so much for being with us. we'll check back with you next half hour. >> it's so frightening that this happened again. and it's five weeks since las vegas. and we still haven't even narrowed in precisely on the vegas shooting when there is

another one to analyze. a truly, truly american phenomenon. president trump speaking than shooting during his trip to asia. >> so sad. sutherland springs, texas, such a beautiful, wonderful area with incredible people. who would ever think a thing like this could happen. >> but it did. only five weeks removed from the deadliest mass shooting in american history. the president still says guns are not the issue here. we're live in tokyo. when it's time to move to underwear

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but this isn't a guns situation. i mean we can go into it. it's a little too soon to go into it. fortunately somebody else had gun that was shooting in the opposite direction, otherwise it would have been much worse. but this is a mental health problem at the highest level. >> so the shooting now taking some of the focus away from the president's asia trip. but it is nonetheless crucial. alexandra field live for us in tokyo. good morning to you alex there is a bromance that seems to be blossoming between shinzo abe and president trump. but it was on display in this press conference, wasn't it? >> you can't imagine two leaders speaking in more superlatives about one another, absolutely heaping praise on one another. talking about their close friendship, the countless hours they spend on the found, the rounds of golf they play. but all of this is driving home a bigger point. they're saying these two

countries are closer than ever before. that the alliance is stronger than ever before. they're 100% on the same page when it comes to developing a strategy for how to counter mounting threats from north korea. the prime minister in this conference today announcing that japan will take further steps against north korea, issuing new sanctions targeting 35 entities and businesses, also talking about increasing their buying of defensive equipment from the united states, something that president trump buzz also pushing hard for in this press conference. he says that he very much agrees with president trump who has sometimes been criticized for his fiery rhetoric directed at north korea. he says now is not the time for dialogue with north korea that you cannot talk for talk's sake, that it is important to apply the maximum amount of pressure. and that president trump is correct that he is taking the right approach when he continues to reaffirm for the allies in the region and for the international audience at large that all options remain on the table. certainly the president's tough

language has sparked some fear here in the region that this could ratchet up the tension that has been at such a boiling point on the peninsula. but he's got a strong supporter in prime minister shinzo abe. next stop pour the president on this five nation tour of asia will be south korea where he will be meeting with the president there. also talking about how to deal with the north korean crisis. dave? >> yeah, president trump definitely dialed back his rhetoric a little bit. no rocket man, no fire and fury, no threatening to destroy north korea. alex field live for us in tokoyo. thank you so much. >> the president repeatedly criticizing japan's trade practices, vowing to renegotiate what he calls a lopsided relationship. >> we want free and reciprocal trade, but right now our trade with japan is not free. and it's not reciprocal. and i know it will be. >> speaking to a group of japanese business leaders, the president did not say how he

would narrow the $57 billion trade deficit with japan, the third largest for the u.s. a trade deficit is not inherently good or bad, but trump called out carmakers for shipping cars, instead of building them in the u.s. the president promised a new deal with japan could mean more trade than anybody ever thought. japan was one of the biggest back others telephone tpp. trump withdrew the u.s. during his first week in office. a huge trove of linked documents made public sunday seemingly to show financial ties between russia and a member of trump's cabinet. the leak known as the paradise papers is the source of new reporting by dozens of news outlets working together with the international consortium of investigative journalists. the documents have not been independently reviewed by cnn. but "the new york times" reporting based on the documents, commerce secretary wilbur ross has a multimillion-dollar stake in a shipping company. >> a shipping company's whose

top customers include a big russian energy firm that energy's firm's owners include a member of the putin family and a russian oligarch. ross disclosed his finances earlier this year including the shipping company, which he said he plans to keep his stake. in. >> a spokesman for ross says the secretary has never met the russian oligarchs who are the energy company's major shareholders. the spokesman says ross recuses himself from any matters that could pose a conflict of interest. >> also mentioned in the paradise papers, secretary of state rex tillerson and chief economic adviser gary cohn. the times mentions both men reporting, but no mention of any illegali illegality. the research is based on documents dating from 1916. >> people are suspicious every time there is a connection, it seems to be with russia and seems to be with this cabinet. the investigation will continue. >> 20 minutes past the hour. 26 people killed in another mass

shooting in the united states. we go live to texas with the latest. also, major anti-corruption arrests in saudi arabia. dozens of people swept up. is this really about corruption, or is leadership looking to consolidate power this we're live in riyadh. i love you, couch.

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several of saudi arabia's most high profile princes and businessmen swept up in an anti-corruption probe. at least 38 former current, former deputy ministers under arrest, accused of corruption. cnn has obtained a list showing at least 17 of the top princes and officials arrested by a newly formed anti-corruption committee initiated by the saudi king salman. the committee also remove lead

ministers from their positions. let's get to cnn's becky anderson with more. becky, good morning to you. some feel this is a power grab as much as it is cutting down on corruption. it is both? >> well, it's certainly been an extraordinary weekend here in saudi arabia's capital riyadh, providing further confirmation if any were needed of exactly who is in charge here and how the kingdom's new leadership is positioning itself, both domestically and on the international stage as well. cynics might call this a power play. supporters of the young crown prince will tell you that the messages of an era of elite inindulgence is over. and to be quite frank, this was a move that was well flagged. earlier in the year, in an interview with an arabic language tv station, the crown prince here warned that every person who has engaged in corruption regardless of their status will be held accountable, provided, he said, the evidence

of wrongdoing exists. so the warnings were there. the most high profile of the targets said prince alwaleed ben talal, the businessman owner of kingdom holding, which is a company that had stakes in citigroup, twitter, apple and news corp., worth about $20 billion himself. big other business people such as the chairman of the bin laden group, a major construction firm here in the kingdom, the saudi media mogul waleed al ibrahim. prince abdullah from his post as head of the elite guard. it is the speed of these moves internally that somewhat shock even the most supportive of saudi watches. coming as they do at a time of increasingly muscular policy by saudi arabia with regard the region and its laser focus on iran as the number one security problem. backed of course, by the u.s.

president donald trump. so if there is one message from here within the kingdom, it is that this starts at the top, and that nobody will get away with anything going forward. dave? >> the implications around the globe. becky anderson live in riyadh. thank you so much. a sunday worship service shattered. 26 people killed. ages 5 to 72. remembering the victims just outside of san antonio. >> we ask you to please observe a moment of silence to honor our neighbors who have been affected by this act of violence. >> and now big questions, big new questions about the attacker. why could he buy a gun despite being court martialed for assaulting his wife and child? we're live in sutherland springs.

this is cnn breaking news. >> troubling new questions about the man who opened fire on a church full of worshipers, killing 26. why was he allowed to buy a

weapon after being court martialed and discharged from the air force for assaulting his wife and child? >> mental health is the problem here. this was a very based on preliminary reports, a very deranged individual. a lot of problems over a listening period of time. >> brand-new reaction from the president just an hour ago. the president on his trip to asia says the shooting is not a gun situation, it's a mental health problem. that puts more on his high stakes meetings in japan before he heads to south korea. welcome back to "early start" this morning. i'm christine roman. >> i'm dave briggs. 31 minutes past the hour. we start with the deadly shooting in texas just five weeks after las vegas, the deadliest mass shooting in modern american history. another community torn apart by gun violence. at least 26 people killed in the church shooting in the small texas town of sutherland springs near san antonio. the victims range in age from 5 to 72. about 20 others wounded. >> the shooter, 26-year-old

devin patrick kelley, he is dead. kelley was court-martialed by the air force and given a bad conduct discharge back this 2012. he leaves behind an unfolding mystery. what set him off on this rampage, and why was he allowed to have a weapon in the first place, given his history and his court-martial? i want to bring in cnn's dianne gallagher live in sutherland springs. dianne? >> these are all questions people here in sutherland springs and really everywhere surrounding are asking this morning. you can see again, it's a little after 2:30 in the morning. and there are plenty of people, a lot of them media. but lots of law enforcement out here today. about 15 hours ago, at 11:20 on sunday morning, someone spotted the suspect wearing all black in a tactical vest at a gas station. he then came across the street to this church, began opening fire before he even walked in. now once in there, he committed the worst mass shooting in the

history of the state of texas. as he exited that church, we're told that a man who lived next door to the church actually began engaging himself. he got his own gun, went after him. that man and a neighbor began to chase him. they found him eight miles away in a neighboring county. he died. they're still trying to figure out if it was a bullet from the neighbor or self-inflicted. sources tell us that he used a ruger ar-556 in the church shooting where he killed 26 people. a source tells us that he bought that weapon back in april in 2016 at academy sports and outdoor store in san antonio, texas. now back in 2012, he was court martialed. he was in the air force on charges, one, that he assaulted his wife. and another that he assaulted his child. not only was he given a bad --

excuse me, not only was he given a discharge, but he also was sentenced to 12 months' confinement. he was buckled down in rank to an e-1. you have this bad conduct discharge. but apparently none of that showed up on any sort of background check report. we're told that there was no sort of disqualifying information when they ran the report. that's according to a source. and that he did not check off that box that said that he had some sort of past that would not allow hem to have that weapon. so at this point, there is a lot of questions about that. and we're trying to sift through that. here, though, back in sutherland springs, they're trying to come to grips with the fact that just the magnitude of this. one family we're told by somebody, eight people were killed in just one family in this shooting. so this is something that is going to touch this community forever. >> 4-year-old wounded. five years old the youngest victim. a pregnant woman with her other

children. it just is heartbreaking. and it's heartbreaking the frequency with which this happens in this country. so many questions this morning. thank you so much, dianne. the shooting has left the tight knit texas community struggling for answers even as they rely on their faith and each other. >> if ask the lord to deal with this in the days to come. >> my heart is broken on this. i mean, i would never think where it can happen. and it does happen. it doesn't matter where you're 8. i mean, in a small community real quiet and everything. and look at this what can happen. >> we were flabbergasted there is just no reason for something like that to take place. especially here where everybody is family. we all help each other out. well all know each other. this is just devastating. >> all right. cnn law enforcement analyst

cedric alexander, the past president of the national organization of black law enforcement executives. good morning. so sorry to have to speak under such terrible circumstances. another mass shooting. 26 dead. victims from the ages 5 to 72. even younger victims, casualties wounded here. your initial first blush reaction here. how someone who was bounced out of the military for assault would be able to get ahold of a weapon like this. . that is a real quit cal question, and one i believe we're going have the answer where. is the overlapping between the military world? is that considered very different in cases filed out here as a civilian, are those records kept separated? here is the bigger question. i think that we need to make some determination when he was charged in the military, how was

that case tried and how was it adjudicated. and if those files would have been open to civilian records and background checks. that becomes the $54,000 question. but it is a horrific event that will looking too small community. but not only that community, but also this country. because it is absolutely horrible and painful to watch such a small community, or large community, any community have to suffer in such a horrific way. >> not clear even if there was sharing between the military and others. if this would prevent him from buying a weapon. the lautenburg amendment, which prohibits the sale of weapons to those convicted of certain domestic abuse crimes. 26 states have that. texas is not one of them. it's not clear if that would have changed this situation at all. where does this investigation go right now? >> well, they want to continue to look into who is he?

who is mr. kelley? what was his history in his community more recently. did something happen with him that they can determine that set him off, that would have sent him specifically to this church on this particular sunday to do the harm that he's done. is he from that community? is he connected to people inside that church through a family or through friendships. we just want to know more about who he is and what could have happened to him that led him to create such a horrible, horrible event that occurred there in that city. so that's goings to be very, very important. >> sure. >> and also, how did he get possession of those other weapons is going to be critically important as well. >> you know, church is just the ultimate soft target. you have people who are

worshipping, looking to the front of the building. we're told he began shooting before he even got in the building. we know that the pastor's own child was among the victims. heartbreaking. this is a church that would put its sunday services on youtube. even last week, last week it had its sunday services on youtube. and there it is. i mean, that's a picture from inside the church, not from this week, but from the week before. presumably, law enforcement will be able to have a pretty good video to begin their investigation with as well. >> that will be true. and having that video would tell us a lot about what occurred. but here is the sad part of all that. if that church service was being watched, live by people through the internet, they could have seen that assault actual will take place. that's very disturbing. and you have a church full of

people who were killed and injured and traumatized. those who survived. and then you have those who may have been watching that assault take place right on the internet, even make it just that much more a tragic and horrific. >> my impression they post it after the service on sundays, not live stream it, right? >> that is correct. they post it after the fact and they may have video of the deadly assault. cedric alexander, senior law enforcement analyst, thank you very much. ahead, president trump speaking about the shooting during his trip to asia. >> so sad, sutherland springs, texas. such a beautiful, wonderful area with incredible people whom. would ever think a thing like this could happen. >> only fife week's moved from the deadliest mass shooting in american history, the president says guns are not the issue. we're live in tokyo.

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we cannot put into words the pain and brief we all feel, and we cannot begin to imagine the suffering of those who lost the ones they so dearly loved. >> that's just in to cnn this morning. president trump in japan, reacting just a couple of hours ago to yesterday's mass shooting at a texas church. he is ordering flags across the u.s. at half-staff through thursday night. asked about the shooting, president trump says guns are not the issue. mental health is. >> we have a lot of mental

health problems in our country, as do other countries. but this isn't a guns situation. i mean, we could go into it. but it's a little bit soon to go into it. fortunately somebody else had a gun that was shooting in the opposite direction. otherwise it would have been -- as bad as it was, it would have been much worse. but this is a mental health problem at the highest level. >> interesting. so the president has made that declaration this is mental health probably at the highest level yet. the centers for disease control, the cdc of the united states by law cannot even study or examine the intersection between community health, community mental health issues and guns. >> yeah, it's not mental health or guns. mental health and guns. >> the president saying that makes you wonder whether he would change the focus of the government to try to use the resources to investigate types of ways to fix that. >> a lot of people just say the

reactions are so different when you look at how he reacted to the new york terror attack, to now he has reacted to las vegas and sutherland springs, texas, in terms of taking action right now. >> right. the shooting now taking some of the focus away from the president's trip to asia. let's bring in alexandra field live in tokyo with more. the president is traveling to a region where he will be talking trade and security in a place where we have an awful lot of trade deficits and security concerns. >> yeah. certainly concerns about north korea have been topping the agenda on this trip. the president has been talking a lot about pursuing more fair trade deals. but it is those discussions about north korea that have dominated a lot of the trip. it will continue to dominate his five-country sweep through asia. the japanese prime minister arguably his closest prime minister in the edge region. they couldn't have said it enough times. they like each other. they're working closely with

each other. they talk on the phone all the time. they're 100% on the sage page when it comes to mounting a strategy from the threat from north korea. announcing there would be sanctions against north korean individuals and entity, also going on the say that japan would be buying more defense equipment from the united states in order to further protect itself in the face of that threat from north korea. that's something that u.s. president donald trump has also been pushing. prime minister abe echoing a lot of the language that we have heard president trump use when it comes to talking about north korea, saying he supports the idea that all options are on the table. he also says now is not the time for dialogue you. can't have dialogue just for dialogue's sake, and that partners in the region need to continue to a ply maximum pressure. you didn't hear president trump taking that fiery tone he typically takes with north korea. but the two leaders certainly talking about how grave the security concerns posed by north korea are. the president also had a chance to meet with japanese families who have had family members

kidnapped according to the japanese government by north korea. he sent a message to kim jong un saying kim jong un should release anyone being held there, that that could real by the start of something. and we've heard him something that the north korean people are great people, living under a very repressive regime and he hopes it all works out for them. christine? >> alexandra field force, our woman in tokyo. thank you. all right. some frightening news out of kentucky over the weekend. republican senator rand paul was assaulted outside his home. we're learning this morning that the injuries he sustained are worse than originally thought. an adviser to the senator tells cnn he has five rib frack checks, including three displaced fractures and lung contusions. advisers say it's not clear when he will return to work. kentucky state police say senator paul was assaulted by a neighbor in his gated community. they say 59-year-old renee boucher tackled the senator from behind. the capitol police and the fbi

are both investigating the attack. donna brazile standing firm against a mounting criticism of her new book and its damning accusations against her own party. brazile reveals she considered removing hillary clinton from the ticket after the candidate fainted and replaced her with joe biden. although she acknowledged to abc news she didn't have the power to do that on her own. leading democrats are furious saying the party needs a big turnout in virginia and new jersey for tomorrow's election day, and can't afford bad blood or distractions. brazile pushing back hard. >> you think this helps for the book to come out? >> well, george, i mean, this is a lesson of 2016. if i released it next year. that would say donna, you're impacting on 2018. if i release the following, donna, you're impacting. george, forbe those who are telling me to shut up, that's told hillary that a couple months ago. you know what i tell them? go to hell. >> strong. nearly 100 former clinton

campaign staffers accuse brazile over the weekend buying into false moscow propaganda spread by moscow about clinton's health. the statement goes on to say, quote we do not recognize the campaign she portrays in the book. we have is not heard the louisiana of this debate. >> no we have not. the holiday shopping season is almost here. amazon has a new plan to compete with low cost rivals. details on cnn money stream, next.

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all right. an earthquake in saudi arabia of the political type. some of saudi arabia's most high profile princes and businessmen swept up in an anti-corruption probe. at least 38 former, current, and deputy ministers now under arrest, accused of corruption. cnn has obtained a list showing the names of at least 17 of the princes and top officials arrested by a newly formed anti-corruption committee initiated by saudi king salman.

the committee also removed three ministers from their positions. let's get to cnn's becky anderson with more palace intrigue literally in riyadh. walk us through it. >> that's right. a series of bombshell arrests here in saudi arabia's capital riyadh over the weekend providing further confirmation any were needed, christine, of %-p play. but supporters of the young crown prince will tell you that the messages that an era of elite indulgence here is over. and that starts at the top. and to be quite frank, this was a move that was well flagged earlier in the year. in an interview with an arabic language tv station in which muhammad bin salman warned that every person who has engaged in corruption regardless of their status will be held accountable. provided he said at the time the evidence of wrongdoing exists.

the most high profile of these targets, well, many of our viewers may know the name of prince alwaleed bin talal, the business they're businessman and owner of kingdom holding that company has stakes in companies like citigroup, twitter, apple and news corp. other big name news people, the chairman of the bin laden group, a major construction firm here in the kingdom. and the saudi media mogul, waleed al ibrahim. also out, as you rightly point out, not just business people, but prince abdullah from his post as head of the elite national guard. critics are going to say that the crown prince has taken the opportunity to remove any challenges to his leadership. but let's just consider within the wider context of the past couple of years. i clamped down on the religious establishment, curbing the powers of the religious police. i with us here only six, seven weeks ago when the public space was announced as being opened up to the women driving by next

summer, for example. so, christine, we're looking at a consolidation of power, yes. pushing back on the religious establishment here, yes. a two-wronged approach in the name of reform in a country carving out a future here as more modern. music to the ears of many of the youngsters. 70% here are under the age of 30. christine? >> all happening as the economy trying to wean itself from the dependence on oil and become more modern and diversified. a lot going listen to. >> correct. >> becky, thank you so much for that. the high profile roundup in saudi arabia just part of a chaotic weekend this the middle east. saudis also intercepted a ballistic missile targeting the riyadh airport. that missile fired from yemen. this after the prime minister of lebanon resigned with some harsh words for iran. cnn's senior international correspondent ben wedeman live in beirut with the latest. the lebanese prime minister resigns, but not in lebanon. give us more on this story.

>> in fact he made that announcement from riyadh, saudi arabia on a saudi backed television channel, el arabia. and the former lebanese prime minister does hold both lebanese and saudi citizenship. now he is blaming iran for interference in lebanese affairs. but of course saudi arabia is also deeply involved. one night say deeply interfering in lebanese politics as well. so it's a bit like the kettle calling the pot black in this instance. but nonetheless, he is accusing iran of involvement in lebanese politics. but of course since december of last year, he led a government that did include several ministers from hezbollah, which of course is linked to iran. so it's a complicated situation.

but the fact of the matter is hezbollah is a major player in lebanese affairs. and whether you like it or not, that is a fact of life. now regarding that ballistic missile fired from yemen toward the airport in riyadh, yes, the saudis are saying this almost amounts on the a act of war. iran does support the houthi rebels in yemen. in aiden in the southern part of yemen, that's a very complicated situation. muhammad bin salman, the crown prince of saudi arabia is the main force behind that bogged down effort by the saudi military and its gulf allies in yemen. but the saudis, of course, are very concerned about the situation across the middle east where they've seen iran's influence continue to grow.

but the iranians are planning for the long game. and the united states, saudi arabia, and the gulf sheikdoms are really playing catch-up when it comes to iran's plans for the region. >> ben wedeman live for us, thank you so much. let's get a check on money stream. global stock markets mostly lower today. but it was another strong week for wall street. the s&p 500 and the dow each had their eighth consecutive weeks of gains. apple pushing stocks to record highs. app apple's stocks rose 2.6%. the report of big profits last quarter. but earnings season is winding down. this week the focus is tax cuts. the ways and means committee will start marking up the bill it released last week. there are 48 days until christmas, if you're counting. amazon is already discounting items. but for the first time slashing prices from third party sellers. amazon typically only discounts

items it sells directly. but this allows amazon to sell at lower prices while still giving the sellers full price. sommer chants say this devalues their products, but this helps amazon compete with low-priced rivals like walmart. watch this space. 48 days. i did not need to know. >> i already have my first black friday e-mail. troubling new questions about the man who opened fire on a church full of worshippers, killing 26. why was he allowed to buy a woepen after being court marshalls and discharged from the air force for assaulting his wife and child? >> mental health is the problem here. this was a very, based o