i can worry about it, or doe. something about it. garlique helps maintain healthy cholesterol naturally, and it's odor-free, and pharmacist recommended. garlique their third debate, top democrats face off, sparring over health care and gun control

and over donald trump. more trouble for the bahamas. two weeks after dorian left so much devastation, a new storm with another threat to the northern islands. this time with florida in its sights. also ahead this hour, the british prime minister accused of lying to the queen. more on the brexit drama, as the clock ticks down. we're live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta. we want to welcome our viewers here in the united states and around the world. i'm george howell. "cnn newsroom" starts right now. it's 2:01 here on the u.s. east coast. early in the morning. but there's no knockout blows just a few hours before this show. plenty of rhetorical punches. the big democratic debate was one to watch.

the three front-runners were on center stage. joe biden got the most attention, not only from his closest competitors, senators bernie sanders and elizabeth warren, but also from the seven other candidates, all taking their jabs, trying to sound like contenders, instead of also rans. from the beginning, each trying to stand out. some focusing on president trump, others looking at the white house incumbent. >> president trump, you spent the last 2 1/2 years trying to sow hate and division among us. that's why we've gotten nothing done. >> it goes without saying that we must and will defeat trump, the most dangerous president in the history of this country. but we must do more. >> today, service members are preyed upon by predatory lenders. students are crushed by debt. and families cannot afford child

care. i know what's broken, i know how to fix it and i'm going to lead the fight to get it done. >> we're the best equipped nation to take this on. it's no longer okay to postpone. there's enormous opportunities once we get rid of donald trump. >> health care was a hot topic on the stage. it allowed joe biden to do a bit of counterpunching himself. >> how are we going to pay for it? i want to hear, tonight, how that's happened. so far, my distinguished friend, the senator on my left has not indicated how she pays for it. and the senator has come forward and said how he is going to pay for it. it gets him halfway there. >> how do we pay for it? the rich es corporations are going to pay more. and middle-class families are

going to pay less. >> joe said medicare for all would be $30 trillion. status quo over ten years will be 50 trilli$50 trillion. >> for analysis, let's bring in zach wolf. zach, the digital director for cnn politics. >> thanks for having me. >> who came out on top from this debate? joe biden, was his performance enough to keep the mantle? or did someone else steal the show here? >> i didn't see anything fundamentally change in this debate. what i think we saw were some important policy discussions they were having, particularly on the issue of health care that you saw there. and this is something that will continue to play out. it really splits both democratic candidates and democrats, this issue of whether the government

should be -- how involved in health care the government should be. we're seeing it play out, the detailed policy discussion, whether democrats should be behind getting rid of the private insurance industry or whether they should build on obamacare and the legacy of president obama. there was no knockout blow or somebody anointed as the heir to obama to go in and take on trump. we saw the incremental moves in the policy discussions. also, interesting clashes on health care. even backed joe biden's record on iraq. we've e seen hseen how the part moved from materially days. >> there were moments, like the moment with biden, with former

hud secretary julian castro took a jab that was aimed at the v.p.'s age. castro said that was not the case. he said, it was a disagreement over policy. we have the tape. let's play it. look and listen for yourself. >> they do not have to buy in. they do not have to buy in. you said that two minutes ago. you said, they would have to buy in. >> are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago? if you lose your job, for instance, his health care plan would not enroll you. you would have to opt in. my health care plan would. i'm fulfilling the legacy of barack obama and you're not. >> that will be a surprise to him. on that stage, every candidate looking for a moment. castro got it wrong, biden did not misspeak.

what are the optics for castro in that moment? positive or negative? >> i think it might be negative for castro. but potentially positive for every other democrat who might want to bring up joe biden's age without bringing up joe biden's age. there were three, all in their 70s, biden, warren and sanders. those are the people at the top of the ticket. this age question, younger democrats, like castro and buttigi buttigieg, says there needs to be a generational change among democrats. that hasn't resonated with voters yet. it will be interesting to see if stuff like that from castro, we saw cory booker take up that mantle after the debate in a cnn interview. he said sometimes you don't know what joe biden is thinking. it will be interesting to see if that starts to affect biden.

he does say stuff and you're not sure where he's going. he started to talk about record players. it was a weird moment imoment. is that the kind of thing that people notice? but it is an old ticket for democrats so far. >> record players as opposed to podcasts, live stream. it was an interesting thing to notice there. all of the candidates saw the need to strengthen gun control laws. beto o'rourke, though, far more d candid in his response. >> we're going to take your ar-15, your ak-47. we're not going to allow it to be used against americans anymore. >> beto o'rourke, from el paso, the site of a mass shooting from a deranged racist. a shooting happened four weeks

later in midland-odessa. it is home for him. >> for decades, democrats have been warding off republican warnings, they would take people's guns away. republicans, george w. bush, dick cheney, the nra, all warned that democrats were trying to take people's guns away. democrats and barack obama, and john kerry, nominees going back for a while now, are saying, no, we respect the second amendment. and we have a major capped date in beto o'rourke, and a couple others that agree with him, who are saying, no. we are going to take certain guns away. these do not belong on u.s. streets. stha w that was a huge pivot in how democrats are viewing gun control in this election.

>> always good to get the insight from another guy named wolf in d.c. good to have you with us, zach. we appreciate it. we'll stay in touch with you. >> thanks. in the bahamas we are following that story for you, as well. the list of people considered missing after the hurricane, has been revised. the number now believed, 1,300 people are unaccounted for. a sharp decline from 2,500 the day before. but the death toll of 50 is expected to rise, as the search through the debris continues. another storm is forming in the atlantic. and it could be on the way. paula newton reports, it comes as the islands were doing the best to recover. >> its ferocity was so vicious, survivors describe a storm that seemed to want to wipe them out. >> words can't describe it. i don't wish it on nobody. >> reporter: still stunned at their own survival, the aftermath has been crippling.

nearly one in five bahamians are homeless. 2,100 in shelters and hundreds more taken in by family, friends and strangers. the price tag at a staggering $8 billion and counting. while the winds have calmed, the sense of urgency hasn't. the need to feed, clothe and shelter so many for months, maybe years, while trying to find and identify the hundreds that are still missing. and many are struggling with traumatic experiences. during the storm, thousands scrambled from room-to-room, house-to-house, buildings crumbling around them with alarming speed. >> and this boat was as high as the roof, that started to come on to the roof with me. i was holding on for dear life. >> reporter: hurricane dorian lasted longer than predict.

it lashed out with gusts as terrifying as tornadoes, as the storm ground to a halt, grinding across the islands. >> sitting in the living room. all of a sudden, the roof did a -- it just came off. >> reporter: hundreds lost track of not just belongings, but each other. we leaf, overwhelmed reunions. >> you're okay. >> reporter: others, still days after the storm, were desperate for proof of life. this woman, frantic to find hher cousin. >> i hope they find him. i hope so. he just had a son. i hope they find him. i hope so. >> reporter: others know exactly what happened to loved ones. they watch and wait the grim search for bodies, knowing some victims were swept out to sea. the evacuations are nearly complete. on the minds of most, how do you even begin to rebuild?

>> we can't do it alone. we need help. lots of help. lots of help. monetary help. i mean, just -- you didn't know where to start. >> reporter: dorian shattered lives and expectations, about what hurricanes lock like after they've passed. paula newton, cnn, nassau. >> that's the situation on the island islands there. there's trouble brewing in the atlantic. and it has that part of the world in its sights. our derek van dam is following the details in the international weather center. derek? >> every time i see the images, so difficult to comprehend what the people have gone through. obviously, george, the search and recovery efforts, still under way, across the bahamas. and this is the last thing that residents and tourists want to see. another storm looming in the distance. this picture taken yesterday, in

nassau, in the bahamas. i want to be clear to our viewers, we have no indication that the storm will be nearly as powerful, with storm surge and devastating winds. but the threat of another storm system looming is really just a terrible situation, out of an already difficult and problematic one at the moment. we're unleashing the full atlantic tropical basin at the moment. three disturbances that we're watching. one newly formed just off of the west coast of africa. another over the central portions of the atlantic ocean. the more immediate threat, this one, the disturbance of thunderstorm activity, across the southeastern bahamas. that is quickly becoming organized. we have tropical storm warnings across the areas that were hit two weeks ago. marshal harbor into freeport. uh now, we have tropical storm watches across the u.s. mainland, from the space coast southward into the jupiter inlet

region across florida. here's the latest from the national hurricane center. 45-mile-per-hour sustained winds. it's an organized storm. we expect this to become a named tropical depression. it will be humberto, as it starts to gain some strength, moving over the warm gulf of mexico waters, or the warm gulf stream waters, just off the atlantic coastline over eastern florida. you can see the projected path with the system, still a lot of uncertainty. a lot of model spread that we continue to monitor. one thick ng is for sure, they picking up on a consensus where the florida coastline could be picked up by this storm system. by the way, we recall the freeport and marsh harbor regions saw 100 meters of rain. that will only hamper the recovery efforts going forward, george. >> we will keep in touch with you as you keep tracking that storm. thank you. >> okay.

the prime minister of the united kingdom insists he did not lie when he advised the queen to suspend parliament. we'll find out what that nation's supreme court has to say about it. ♪ don't get mad, put those years to work with e*trade.

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a remarkable scene in hong kong, where hundreds of protesters hit the streets thursday, at a major mall, singing "glory to hong kong." listen. [ singing ] that song, written less than a week ago. but already, it's become an anthem of sorts for those who continue to speak out in defiance about china's influence. the song's influence includes chants at marches. pro-democracy protesters are set to sit in at various transit stations in the coming hours. we'll continue to monitor. and protests in the city have now forced organizers to pull the plug on an international women's tennis tournament in hong kong.

organizers say the hong kong open, set to start october 3rd, will now be delayed, quote, in light of the presentation, end quote. no decision on when the tournament, which attracts many top women players, will happen. in the united kingdom, that nation's prime minister now denies he lied to the queen when he advised her to suspend parliament. sco scotland's high court ruled that boris johnson's counsel reduced time for parliament to scrutinize brexit. the prime minister is betting on a different outcome when the u.k. supreme court has its say on the matter. >> did you lie to the queen when you advised her to suspend parliament? >> absolutely not. the high court in england plainly agrees with us. the supreme court will have to

decide. >> some important context to keep in mind. the government there just released the list of worst-case scenarios of a no-deal brexit, including civil disorder, crippling border delays, a shortage of medicine and price hikes. but boris johnson is hoping to reach a deal at the next e.u. summit next month. this is three years after the referendum and just days before the deadline to leave the e.u. the e.u.'s top brexit negotiators says he is pessimistic that a new deal can be worked out. let's talk about this and put it in focus with josh boswell. he has been following this drama, joining us via skype. >> hi, george. >> the prime minister, accused of lying to the queen. the british press using the "l" word, lying. he is on the defensive and counting on the supreme court to side with him next week. this headline has dominated british media and adds more complication to an already complicated issue.

>> that's right. this is getting more and more complex. it is moving from parliament into the courts, now, as we've seen multiple court cases here. you've got the english courts ruling that boris johnson did not act unlawfully. he was completely fine in shutting down parliament. the scottish courts ruled that, in fact, it was unlawful. and now, the supreme court is the ultimate court in the united kingdom. they have to decide. they have a three-day hearing they have there. and really, that's what's going to decide here, the final word, on whether parliament is going to go back into session. that will be overturned or whether boris johnson was right. interestingly, it looks like, from previous decisions, the supreme court tends to consider cases in the context of the

legal framework that it came from. in the scottish case, it will look at that and say, well, according to scottish law, we're going to make that decision in that context. with the english case, they'll say, we're going to decide this case in according to english law. make one decision on the scottish case and one on the english case. it's two different frameworks. very complicated. >> to delve into that complication and to drill into the scottish court's decision, help our viewers understand how they reached that ruling, to shut down parliament, saying it was unlawful. >> so, the crux of the court case here was, what was boris johnson's re -- now, he claims he just wanted to shut down parliament in a normal procedure, that is at the end of the parliamentary term.

you have a short break of a couple of weeks of parliament, so there's a breather, before you start a new parliamentary session, where the government gets to put forward in a queen's speech its new vision for the parliament going forward. this happens regularly. you know, every few years, in british politics. but the other side, successfully argued in the scottish case, in fact, boris johnson's intention was to shut down parliament early to prevent anymore debate on brexit and to really forge ahead with his own no-deal brexit ideas and platform here. and that was unlawful because he was restricting parliament's lawful constitutional role of scrutinizing the executive. >> josh, let's talk about this,

what seems to be a rare win for the prime minister. this twist from a judge in belfast, dismissing a legal claim that a no-deal for example sit and hard border would undermine peace in northern island. the court will hear this later today. this is something that falls in the prime minister's favor. >> yes. that's right. he's got -- the tally, i suppose we can say, is 2-1 at the moment. you have a win for him in the english courts, a win for him in the northern irish courts and a loss in scotland. this will bolster him, that northern irish ruling, because this is where the key brexit negotiation issues lie. it's whether britain and ireland are going to be able to create a situation where, we can leave the european union, but not have so much friction on the border there. and that's the one land border you have between the european union and the united kingdom, that border between northern

ireland and the republic of ireland. if we can get free-flowing trade without problems but leave the european union, the problems are solved. so far, that seemed intractable. a judge ruling that there would be credence for boris johnson here. the supreme court has to decide. if it rules against him, that news, that positive news for boris johnson is likely to be overshadowed here. >> all eyes on the courts this week and the brexit deadline october 31st. it is looming large. josh boswell, we appreciate your time and insight today, live for us in anchorage, alaska. thank you. congressional democrats move forward with the investigation of the trump administration. but some of them refuse to call it an impeachment imquirery. we'll look at that as cnn continues. billions of mouths.

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welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and around the world. you are watching "cnn newsroom" live from atlanta. i'm george howell with the headlines we're following for you this hour. the bahamas recovering from hurricane dorian now, under a tropical storm warning. you see here on the map, the same system could hit the united states, as well. the national hurricane center has issued a tropical storm watch, for parts of east florida. here in the u.s., a parent has been issued for singer r. kelly. he failed to appear in court, in minnesota, where he is charged with engaging in prostitution

with a minor. kelly is already in custody in illinois on unrelated federal sex crime charges. his attorney argues the prosecutor never got a court order for kelly to appear in the minnesota court. in north dakota, that nation's prime minister is, again, tightening the country's gun laws. the prime minister has spearheaded a band on military-style weapons after two mosques were attacked in march. that attack killing 51 muslim worshipers. now, she is proposing a bill to make it valid for five years, instead of ten. the top ten democratic presidential candidates traded punches on thursday night. joe biden the front-runner. some say he had the best performance. some of the big topics on the debate, was health care. jeff zeleny has this report from

houston, texas. >> reporter: ten candidates on the stage in houston, a serious and substantive conversation. more civil in some respects than previous debates, largely because it was ten candidates in one evening, not candidates xee competing for attention, necessarily. but joe biden leading the way, defending obamacare and saying the government should expand on that. of course, making deep division with bernie sanders and elizabeth warren, who support medicare for all. no solutions or agreements were reached on health care. this will be a central dividing line of this campaign for the months going forward. but certainly, joe biden and others raising questions about the cost and the feasibility about medicare for all. down the line, one big difference from that detroit debate in july, the obama legacy. president obama came under attack by many democrats just two months ago. democrats last night, in houston, were stepping over

themselves, trying to praise president obama. a different tone there. the most combative and striking events in the debate, was julian castro. a former member of the obama candidate, going after joe biden repeatedly, raising questions about his age. he essentially didn't understand his health care proposal. he accused joe biden of using president obama when it serves his purposes. sharp words from julian acastro. he is polling near the bottom of this group of candidates who try to make a name for himself. we'll see how democratic voters react to that. there's one month until the next debate in ohio. status quo. joe biden leading the way. bernie sanders, elizabeth warren, as well. one thing that is clear, democratic voters were able to take a measure of the candidates. on the debate stage, several strong performances. no clear direction for which way the party will go, in terms of

choosing a progressive route or a pragmatic one. george? >> jeff, thank you. democrats in the u.s. house have taken an important step, as they move forward with an impeachment inquiry. the judiciary committee has adopted the procedures it will follow in its investigation. as manu raju explains, there's been a lot of confusion, even to use that word, impeachment. >> the chairman of the house judiciary committee, jerry nadl nadler, says he plans to begin an aggressive series of hearings in the fall, looking at obstruction of justice, and going yard the mueller report, and whether the president should be impeached. he said there is an impeachment investigation and inquiry. he said it doesn't matter what you call it. at the end of the day, that's the decision that will be made by the democrats about whether or not to impeach the president. not everyone is emphasizing the same thing, including the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, who will not call what

the committee is doing an impeachment inquiry. it is part of the investigation and oversight of the trump administration. but talking to democrats yesterday, it's clear they're divided on the topic of impeachment. >> i don't think, if you were to put articles of impeachment on the floor today, you can get to 218 votes. i don't think the american people are there on the issue of impeachment. i would vote no impeachment. unless there's a compelling argument in the next couple months, my vote is no. >> i don't think we made the case to the american people we need to, i have been supporting him doing that. >> right now, you don't think it's important to move down the impeachment inquiry? >> right. >> the people in our caucus have been reticent to move aggressively on this. but the constituents are understanding there has to be some movement. and they understand that this movement could lead to impeachment. >> what are the implications of the leadership not calling this

impeachment inquiry? any concerns? the house judiciary committee adopted a resolution, setting out the ground rules they will carry out an inquiry in the days and weeks ahead. that will be seen when corey lewandowski is scheduled to testify before that committee to talk about allegations the democrats want to explore of obstruction of justice. it was laid out in the mueller report, of the president trying to undermine the mueller investigation. what will lewandowski answer? and two former white house aides, what will they attend? they've been southbound subpoen white house to attend. but they have been blocked from talking. the question is, whether they agree to talk? if they don't, will that be another case the democrats will pursue? >> manu raju on capitol hill.

we're learning more about a dive boat tragedy off of the coast of california. this was happening almost two weeks ago. investigators say no overnight watchman was on duty when the fire killed 34 people. the national transportation safety board says an overnight watch is required by law. the news came as the sunken vessel was vinfinally raif lly . still ahead, israel has a key meeting with the president of russia. why this might be crucial for benjamin netanyahu as he seeks re-election.

authorities in russia have carried out nationwide raids on the offices of kremlin critic alexei nivoni. he said that 200 raids were launched in 41 different cities. they were part of an investigation into his

anti-corruption group that is accused of money laundering. but the group says the raids were the result of what he calls kremlin, quote, hysteria. because of recent losses in local elections. while those raids were going on, vladimir putin was having a meeting with benjamin netanyahu. it comes ahead of a crucial election in israel. >> reporter: one of donald trump's closest allies is cozying up with one of his biggest enemies. benjamin netanyahu is playing both sides, meeting with vladimir putin to tout their relationship. >> translator: tight thing the relations between us, mr. president, is the result of two other things. our mutual policy and the i

greemt betwe agreement between us. >> reporter: there's another reason for a quick trip out of the country before ballots are cast. netanyahu is pushing for the russian vote in israel. immigrants from the former soviet union make up 15% of the population, a vote that's generally in the hands of this man, lieberman. he once worked for netanyahu before launching his own party. now, the former defense minister is the secular right-wing thorn in netanyahu's side, having quit the israeli leader's government saying he was too soft onner e theer terror and caved. >> we are going to develop a government. >> reporter: polls show lieberman with enough seats to prevent netanyahu from getting

the appeal he wants. >> translator: the joint interest is secularism. they feel the country is changes. and they feel the religious population is becoming a majority, and more and more dominant. and it scares them, and lieberman tells them, i am holding your flag. >> reporter: the former mayor of tel aviv, once belonged to the likud party, now, is voting lieberman. >> he is the right wing, but not extreme right wing. but moderate right wing on one end. and on the other hand, he is not connected to all kinds of corruption. >> reporter: lieberman refused to join with netanyahu in april's elections, forcing new elections. with a renewed popularity, he's one more obstacle standing between netanyahu and an election night victory. rehead

he heads home to try to take control of the spin. after he said there was a secret nuclear base in iran, president trump said he would meet the iranian president. when he said he would annex the west bank, and then, he fired john bolton, one of the closest allies in iran, another blow to netanyahu. >> oren, thank you. a saudi princess is facing legal trouble in france. french court ruled she was complicit in the beating up of a workman in paris. she was found guilty of ordering her bodyguard to humiliate the man who was renovating her apartment at the time. the court fined her $11,000. the princess did not appear in court. her lawyer says they will appeal the ruling. fighting racism in football.

the 2,000 black and asian referees in england, you won't see one on the pitch during an english premier league match. cnn went to investigate the question of why. we call it the mother standard of care. it's something we take personally, and believe in passionately. it's the idea that if our mothers were diagnosed with cancer, how would we want them to be treated? that's exactly how we care for you. with answers and actions. to hear your concerns, quiet your fears, lift your spirits. with teams of cancer experts and specialists, delivering advanced treatment options

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here in atlanta, a revered u.s. civil rights leader has died at the age of 87 years old. juanita abernathy was the wife of ralph abernathy sr., co-founder of the american civil rights movement. she was a force in her own way. her family called her the last remaining person who was actively involved from day one of the montgomery busboy cot and the civil rights movement. she and her husband worked side-by-side, with civil rights legend, dr. martin luther king jr. the fight for civil rights continues to this day, surely, as questions are now being raised about black referees in the top four divisions of english soccer. cnn's darren lewis talks to a member of england's soccer pyramid, about dealing with underrepresentation. >> i've always said this to

people, if you can't see it, you can't be it. >> reporter: joe is a referee, who officiates four levels below the english premier league. a former semiprofessional player, he picked up the whistle in 2009. he was inspired by the first and only black referee ever to work in the premier league. he retired a decade ago. he wants to follow in rennie's footsteps. there's no pathway to the top, with zero black referees in engla england's top four divisions. >> i thought to myself, i want to go up. i want to go up. i want to be there. and i remember speaking to other referees and my phone was ringing. did your get your letter? no. did you get your letter? no. i am like, must be -- something must be. i have done everything right. and the disappointment, i was like, no. i can't do this again. something said to me, we do.

you're not doing -- you know, you've got to go back out there. you've got to go back out there and make sure that this season, the following season, you're going to make it hard for them to do it. and then, obviously, the back end of this, this year, got promoted. now, i officiate conference level. >> according to england's f.a., there's 28,000 referees in the country. some 2,000 of them come from black or ethnic minority backgrounds. but that number is not reflected in english football's professional game. and he says more needs to be done. >> people don't want to be educated. some people do. some people see color and some don't. it's about seeing it and appreciating it and going about your daily business, having appreciated the people around you.

>> let's bring that into hierarchy of football now. how many black owners are there? >> zero. >> how many black managers are there in the premiership? >> less than a handful. >> black coaches. >> a fair few. >> good. black referees? >> zero. >> back to my point. >> you've turned this around on me. you're interviewing me. >> the thing is, i always said this to people, if you can't see it, you can't be it. observers determine whether or not you progress to a higher league. yes. >> they say eight times during the season, you're being obse e observed. and you get an observer who might not like you for any reason whatsoever. might not fancy. and you might have a brilliant game. and they've marked you down. you've dropped your average. level four, level three, is known as the black man's graveyard.

>> wow. >> because that's where it is. you don't -- how many more do you see move up? >> your careers have all floundered in the black man's graveyard. >> league one, zero. league two, zero. >> reporter: mannen ix is found a network to help black referees. they will lead recruitment drives and to give a voice of the black referees, to make sure they are heard and action is taken to protect them. >> what's the worst experience you have had going to a ground? has anybody treated you negatively on the basis of the color of your skin? >> i remember going to a ground and identified myself as the referee. i shook the chairman's hand. he shook my hand and he took it

back and he wiped his trausers wi trousers with it. and i looked at him while he was wiping his hands. and he kind of stopped and didn't know what to do. >> how did you feel? >> how did i feel? at the time, i was like, wow. 2018. it's still happening. you know? and it was quite funny. counting in his team, six or seven black players. i'm like, okay. they're there to do a job. okay. i wonder if you shake their hands, as well. >> reporter: his support group will be independent from the english f.a. but he plans to work with them, to open up that pathway for black and asian referees, as he seeks to tackle the issue of underrepresentation and on. >> you have to be able to

identify your target audience. you have to go and get it. you're going to get that diamond. you'll be happy that you have that diamond referee. >> when will the world figure this out? thanks for being with us. for "cnn newsroom," i'm george howell at the cnn center in atlanta. for our viewers in the united states, "early start" is next. for our viewer s around the world, the news continues here on cnn, after the break. [happy birthday music] ♪ ♪ don't get mad, put those years to work with e*trade.

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