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CNN NEWSROOM

Tensions High at G7 Summit; Anthony Bourdain Dead at 61; U.S.- North Korea Summit; Seeing the Warning Signs of Suicide; Royal Family Celebrates Queen's Birthday. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 9, 2018 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's my friend. We've had a great relationship right from the beginning.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Despite trade differences, the U.S. president appears to be mending fences with U.S. allies at the G7 conference but he is also calling for a big change.

TRUMP: They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table.

HOWELL (voice-over): And that request for change is not going over well with other G7 leaders. More on that ahead.

And on this day, we here at CNN and around the world remember a remarkable storyteller, a chef and explorer, the impact and legacy of our own Anthony Bourdain.

From CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, a warm welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell, CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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HOWELL: 4:00 am, 4:01 here on the East Coast and we start with the G7 summit in Canada. It kicked off on Friday, despite growing animosity toward the U.S. president over the issue of trade. There were no outward signs of hostility but whether the seven Western allies can produce a joint statement as they normally do is an open question.

In the meantime, Mr. Trump arrived late to the two-day meeting and he'll be leaving early. And in the run-up to the summit, Mr. Trump had been trading Twitter barbs with the Canadian prime minister and the French president. But the tone Friday was much more civil. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The United States has had a trade deficit many years with the European Union and we're working it out and Emmanuel has been helpful in that regard and something will happen. I think it will be very positive.

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): I think on trade there is a critical path but there is a way to progress all together. We had a very direct and open discussion. And I saw the willingness on all the sides to find agreements and to have a win-win approach for our people, our workers and our middle classes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: President Trump had another surprise for the G7. He said that Russia should be readmitted to the group, ignoring why it was kicked out in the first place. We get more now from CNN's Jim Acosta.

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rocking critical relationships with major U.S. allies, President Trump has turned this summit into the OMG7.

The world's top economic powers gathered in Canada, already rattled by the president's trade threats, cringed again when Mr. Trump suggested welcoming Russia back into what was once known as the G8.

TRUMP: I have been Russia's worst nightmare. If Hillary got in, I think Putin is probably going, man, I wish Hillary won because you see what I do. But with that being said, Russia should be in this meeting.

Why are we having a meeting without Russia being in the meeting?

ACOSTA (voice-over): That left it to both other foreign leaders and members of Congress to remind the president that Russia was kicked out of the G8 for its invasion of Ukraine, not to mention its meddling in the 2016 election and the recent poison attack in the U.K., all blamed on the Kremlin.

DONALD TUSK, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COUNCIL: Naturally we cannot fault the U.S. when they change their mind, at the same time, we will not stop trying to convince our American friends and President Trump that undermining this order makes no sense at all.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Senator John McCain said in a statement, "The president has inexplicably shown our adversaries the deference and esteem that should be reserved for our closest allies."

Leaving the White House, the president also tried to clean up this comment when he downplayed the idea of preparing for his upcoming summit with Kim Jong-un.

TRUMP: I don't think I have to prepare very much. It is about attitude, it is about willingness to get things done.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president attempted to make the case that his career in real estate somehow prepared him for next week's nuclear talks.

TRUMP: I didn't say that, I said I've been preparing all my life. I always believe in preparation. But I've been preparing all my life.

You know these one-week preparations?

They don't work. Just ask Hillary what happened to her in the debates.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president is still defending his plan to slap tariffs on key U.S. trading partners.

TRUMP: We have massive trade deficits with almost every country.

ACOSTA (voice-over): But that has some other leaders at the summit referring to this gathering as the G6+1, with Mr. Trump being the odd man out.

TRUMP: The relationship is probably better, as good or better than it's ever been.

ACOSTA (voice-over): French president Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "The American president may not mind being isolated. But neither do we mind signing a six-country agreement --

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ACOSTA (voice-over): -- "if need be."

ACOSTA: The president plans to leave this summit earlier than expected on Saturday. He will miss out on meetings on climate change and the state of the world's oceans. But Mr. Trump has some oceans to cross of his own, to sit down for what may be the most important negotiations of his life, his upcoming nuclear talks with Kim Jong-un in Singapore next week -- Jim Acosta, Quebec City, Canada.

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HOWELL: Let's bring in CNN European affairs commentator, Dominic Thomas, joining us from Bonn, Germany.

Dominic, it's always good to have you on the show. First, this Russia thing. It seemed to come out of the blue from the U.S. president at the G7.

Or did it when you consider the Trump world's curious connections with that country?

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, of course, this recent declaration comes on the heels of the Mueller counsel issuing yet another indictment. So it further confuses the conversation about that.

And of course asking to bring Russia back to the table at the G8 seems completely at odds with U.S. policy right now, that, just back in April, imposed a whole set of new sanctions on Russia. And President Trump himself spoke out against the discord and confusion that Russia had been doing here. And so to bring this out right at the moment is tone deaf, it is

completely ignoring the fact that the rest of the participants -- and I will make one quick exception here -- but the rest of the participants do not want Russia back at the table right now.

They are at odds with Russia over its various activities, from the Skripal poisoning, to the intervention in various elections and the lack of transparency in their own elections in Russia recently.

The one slight difference is that the newly appointed Italian prime minister sits at the head of a government that the Northern League and the Five-Star Movement has been asking for Russia to be brought back into the fold.

So there is some division there at the G7 that goes just beyond the United States.

HOWELL: Using the phrase that Jim Acosta coined, the OMG7 because, again, many people surprised by this request from the U.S. president. Let's also talk about the way that he arrived, late to the meeting, with the French president missing that meeting.

But the two did speak later. Mr. Macron offered a positive statement, saying that progress was made on tariffs. And then there was also this friendly exchange with the Canadian prime minister. Listen to this.

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TRUMP: Justin has agreed to cut all tariffs and all trade barriers between Canada and the United States. So I'm very happy.

I'd say NAFTA is in good shape.

We are actually working on it. We are actually working on it. But our relationship is very good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: So this face-to-face between these leaders certainly different than the Twitter wars we've seen play out before the summit.

Do you think the relationship is truly good and in good shape as the president says?

Is there room for common ground here?

THOMAS: Well, there is room for common ground but, no, the relationship is not good. They are performing well in public. But I think what we are seeing is increasing frustration over a number of reasons.

We recently saw Emmanuel Macron's visit to the United States, where progress the European Union had hoped would be made and immediately the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear accord and no progress was made on that. Emmanuel Macron has not thus far in the past year been able to

convince President Trump to revisit the Paris accord. And, of course, this meeting takes place in the context where the U.S. president has not just imposed tariffs but tariffs on what historically have been the United States' closest allies.

So at the moment the relationship is under enormous tension. And just because in public President Trump thinks that they are smiling and getting along, behind the scenes, this organization is being rattled.

And bringing Russia back into the fray is increasingly problematic. And I think European leaders particularly that are there, with the exception of Italy, as I just mentioned, I think are increasingly frustrated with both the ways in which Russia is dividing and interfering in Europe by supporting so many of these far right and populist groups and that in many ways these are precisely the kinds of constituencies to which Trump has been speaking, from Hungary, to Italy, Austria and beyond.

So his presence is very disruptive and European leaders are disturbed by this and determined to try and change the nature of this discussion.

HOWELL: Dominic Thomas, with us live with perspective, thank you for your time.

THOMAS: Thank you, George.

HOWELL: Now to a story that honestly is difficult to cover, the death of our colleague here at CNN, Anthony Bourdain.

Tributes have been pouring in from around the world. This after the news Friday that he took his own life. In New York, fans have been leaving flowers and notes outside the French restaurant, where Bourdain once worked as a chef. And so many others from all walks of life have been --

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HOWELL: -- posting tributes on social media, reflecting on his remarkable life as a chef, as a modern-day explorer and as the host of CNN's "PARTS UNKNOWN."

Bourdain spent his life bridging cultural divides through food and through conversation. He was followed by millions of people around the world. He traveled to more than 100 countries. It was his curiosity that often took him off the far beaten track.

Earlier CNN spoke with his close friend about his life and legacy.

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MICHAEL RUHLMAN, ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S CLOSE FRIEND: He loved people. And he loved culture and he loved food. And he loved what he was doing. I mean, here was a guy who was a drug addict and a line cook for half

his life and transformed himself into an award-winning journalist, a best-selling author and an extraordinarily successful TV personality, which he hated to call himself but that's what he was.

He transformed the medium of food journalism, food travel shows. So he did so much and he never forgot how lucky he was to be where he was. He was always humble.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: I'm going to ask a question which I don't think there is an answer to but I'm sure it's going to be a question that you're going to get, as a friend of his, a lot.

Does any of -- do you understand what happened or why?

RUHLMAN: I do not. The last I knew, he was in love. He was happy. He said, "Love abounds," some of the last words he said to me. That was a while ago. When I saw him, he looked tired. But I have no idea. I think his best friend, Eric Ripert, was with him and found him. Eric would be the only person who would know.

And I don't know if he knows. I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The tributes continue to pour in. We take a look now back at Anthony Bourdain's life with our Erica Hill.

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ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anthony Bourdain was found in his hotel room in France, where he was shooting an upcoming episode for his show. He took his own life. As news of his death broke, the reaction was swift and heartfelt.

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ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST (voice-over): I don't even know what this is.

I love you, noodles.

HILL (voice-over): Called the original rock star of the culinary world, the Elvis of bad boy chefs, Anthony Bourdain was a cultural icon.

BOURDAIN: Ooh, delicious.

HILL: His mission: to explore the world, meet the most interesting people and, of course, find the best food.

BOURDAIN: We ask very simple questions.

What makes you happy?

What do you eat? What do you like to cook?

And everywhere in the world we go and ask these very simple questions, we tend to get some really astonishing answers.

HILL (voice-over): Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Anthony Bourdain began working in kitchens as a teenager, eventually becoming a celebrity chef.

BOURDAIN: Going to 70, 370, need a side of au poivre.

HILL (voice-over): A best-selling author and TV host.

BOURDAIN: What do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love this.

HILL (voice-over): Behind the success, Bourdain struggled with demons, including an addiction to heroin, which he says began in a Cape Cod restaurant when he was just 17.

BOURDAIN: There was some dark genie inside me, that I very much hesitate to call a disease, that led me to dope.

HILL (voice-over): Bourdain spoke openly about his struggles and about the person who inspired him to do better.

BOURDAIN: I have a 7-year-old daughter now, who I never would have had. I never would have thought. I looked in a mirror and I saw somebody worth saving or that I wanted to at least try real hard and save.

HILL (voice-over): Using his celebrity to raise awareness about opioid addiction, along with his advocacy, Bourdain remained a passionate explorer, bringing his adventurous spirit to CNN in 2013, where he shared his insatiable curiosity with audiences around the world on his series, "PARTS UNKNOWN."

BOURDAIN: All right. You're going to -- I will walk you through this.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You're going to have to walk me through this.

HILL (voice-over): Former President Obama, who joined Bourdain on "PARTS UNKNOWN" in Vietnam, tweeting, "He taught us about food but, more importantly, about his ability to bring us together, to make us a little less afraid of the unknown."

BOURDAIN: People tend to be proud of their food. They let their guard down when they talk to you. You see them at their most vulnerable and revealing in a lot of ways. So even people with whom you have really fundamental disagreements and maybe believe different belief systems, if you're going to intersect anywhere, it's going to be over food.

Ah, the real deal.

HILL: Bourdain's passion resonated with so many, including millions who never met him, yet who greatly admired everything he introduced them to and the way he opened their eyes and their hearts to the world.

His dear friend, fellow chef, Eric Ripert, tweeting, "Anthony was my best friend, an exceptional human being, so inspiring and generous, one of the great storytellers who connected with so many. I pray he is at peace from the bottom of my heart.

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HILL: "My love and prayers are also with his family, friends and loved ones."

Anthony Bourdain was 61 -- in New York, Erica Hill, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Erica Hill, thank you.

Let's get the latest now from our Jim Bittermann, following the story near the hotel where Bourdain was found dead.

Jim, what are people saying there?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: We're just outside that hotel where he was found dead yesterday morning. Basically Anthony Bourdain, despite the fact that his grandparents were French, was not that well-known in the French-speaking world.

So right around here in Kaysersberg, which is where we are, in fact, it is basically the tourists who have been reacting and this morning are saying all sorts of very heartfelt things about Anthony Bourdain and a little bit shocked that they are passing through or staying at a village where Anthony Bourdain stayed on his last night on Earth.

Basically I think that the medical examiner has been here. He saw that there was no suspicious circumstances and as a consequence they have basically have closed the case and ruled it a suicide. There is still some debate about exactly what will happen next.

The family is trying to decide what the funeral arrangements will be. But at the moment here, things are returning to quiet and calm after what was yesterday a morning that was, I think for a lot of people, very emotionally engaging.

The hotel here has had no comment and don't want to have a comment. They may have a communique later on during the day. But it's been pretty much a shock I think for everybody around here -- George.

HOWELL: Jim Bittermann, live for us, thank you.

Since his passing, we've been asking you for your stories of Anthony Bourdain, of how he touched your life. Thousands have offered warm, heartfelt stories and you can find those stories at cnn.com. We'll continue to update this through the weekend with many of the responses we continue to get.

This is important: if you know of anyone who needs help, if a family member needs help, a friend, a colleague or if it is you, there is help available. It is called the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

If you reach out, they can guide you on how to get help wherever you are anytime of the day. Go to iasp.info and then click on help. We'll also have information on our website, Impact Your World, including how you can make a difference in preventing suicide. That is at cnn.com/impact.

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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.

Last-minute preparations are underway in Singapore for the historic summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea. And there is a lot at stake. They could lay the groundwork for a denuclearized North Korea, formally end the Korean War and open up trade.

Or they could fan the flames of distrust between the two countries and once again end up trading threats. Our Paula Hancocks is following the story live in Singapore at the site of the summit.

Paula, the scene is set now for getting these leaders together to have this convention. Tell us about what you are seeing in the run-up to this meeting.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, George, clearly there are a lot of busy people in Singapore today. The last-minute preparations before the U.S. president Donald Trump arrives tomorrow on Sunday. We're still looking for clarification on when the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un will be coming here.

But we know that they will be meeting Tuesday morning 9:00 am local time for that historic summit. And you can imagine the amount of preparation that goes into that for this fairly small city-state.

So what we know is that Singapore has called this an enhanced security event, which effectively means this is one of the biggest security operations that this city would ever have undertaken. They are not giving us figures of how many people will be involved.

But clearly they will be shutting off the Sentosa Island. This is where the Capella hotel is, where this summit will take place, about 10 kilometers or so from where I am right now in the middle of this city. So that will be closed off to make sure security is extremely tight.

One of the main concerns, not only of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un but also clearly the U.S. security officials as well and very high stakes with this summit, we also know that there will be around about 3,000 journalists or at least 3,000 are registered for this event. We could see a lot more here.

And there is also some locals who are taking advantage really of the fact that this is coming here; we're seeing summit-themed food and drinks around the place, we're seeing Trump kimchee burgers. We're seeing Trump and Kim cocktails, the impersonators of the U.S. president and the North Korean leader, who came to the Olympics in PyeongChang as well, they are here.

So everyone is really gearing up for what is looking like one of the most historic summits you could have -- George.

HOWELL: Paula Hancocks, again one of the journalists, many of our team certainly there covering this. We will stay in touch with you, a front seat of history for sure, we'll see how this comes together -- Paula.

Let's now bring in Daniel Pinkston, a professor of international relations at Troy University, joining us from Seoul, South Korea.

Daniel, let's set the scene here: on one side, the dictator of North Korea, Kim Jong-un; on the other side, the U.S. president, Donald Trump. In the background, nuclear weapons and in the middle of it all, the unlikely middleman, former pro basketball player Dennis Rodman.

Daniel, that is where we are here.

What do you make of it?

DANIEL PINKSTON, TROY UNIVERSITY: Well, I do understand Dennis is going to Singapore, safe travels to everyone and I hope everything works out well at the summit.

This is unusual in the fact that usually summits take place after a lot of preparatory work, the working levels, all of the negotiations are worked out. And then it goes up to the higher levels and then, when the leaders actually meet, it is --

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PINKSTON: -- more of a photo op and they sign the agreements.

This has come very quickly and there has been little time to prepare for this. So there has been a lot of work, a kind of crash course, in trying to see what they can agree to. But whatever they do sign or agree to at the summit, this will be the beginning of a process and it will have to be implemented over a long period of time. HOWELL: Let's push forward on that because, again, not a lot of time to really prepare for this as you pointed out. Given what we've heard in the run-up to this meeting, it seems that it will be more about optics than substance.

Do you believe that to be the case?

Or is there is a possibility for actually policy to come out of this meeting?

PINKSTON: Well, there was a precedent for this set back in 1994, when former president Jimmy Carter went to Pyongyang and met with then leader Kim Il-sung. So that was a top-down process that ended up with the signing of the agreed framework in October of that year.

In North Korea, because of the extreme party discipline, the process goes very slowly in the bureaucracy. So if Kim Jong-un can agree to some general principles and give his blessing and give the tasking to the bureaucrats, then when they meet with their American counterparts or other counterparts in South Korea, in other allied nations, they will have more confidence and more support to actually work through the negotiations.

HOWELL: Let's look at this from the North Korean perspective, that nation has always wanted recognition as a nuclear power alongside the United States.

So who gets the most out of this?

Do you see this as a mission accomplished for North Korea?

Or does this somehow play out to the advantage of the United States, this meeting?

PINKSTON: I think this is a big win for Kim Jong-un. I think people who are expecting a swift denuclearization process are going to be disappointed. In fact, I think this meeting will validate North Korea's nuclear program, at least internally. I think that will be the narrative.

North Korean leaders have wanted to have this kind of prestigious meeting with an American leader for decades. And the fact that this is occurring now, shortly after their accelerated development of their nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, they will tie the two together.

And I think that they will conclude that, because of their nuclear capabilities, they brought an American president to the table and why would they abandon what has delivered them this achievement.

HOWELL: Daniel Pinkston, we appreciate your time today, live in Seoul, South Korea. It will be interesting, of course, to see how this comes together. Thank you.

We mourn the loss of one of our own here at CNN. Anthony Bourdain, his fans around the world grieving his loss. He was a storyteller, a traveler, a chef. He had a remarkable way of bringing people together and telling stories. Dead at 61 years old.

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HOWELL: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell with the headlines we're following for you this hour.

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HOWELL: Tributes have been pouring in from around the world for Anthony Bourdain, the host of CNN's "PARTS UNKNOWN." He was found dead at a hotel in France on Friday, this after taking his own life.

Bourdain helped to bridge cultural divides through food and always urged his viewers to eat and drink with people without fear of prejudice. So many people around the world who followed a Anthony Bourdain's career, many of them saw that he made friends along the way, so many friends.

One of those friends was Bill Buford, who shared his thoughts with CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL BUFORD, ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S FRIEND: It was incomprehensible. It was just incomprehensible and I've tried to keep it incomprehensible. I've talked about it enough now where I'm starting to accommodate it.

But I think the incomprehension is important because something very baffling and disturbing has happened. And I don't want to normalize his death. So I'm kind of a bit like you here, I think I've been keeping it raw.

He gave you himself. He gave you -- it was straight, it was funny, it was rude, it was filthy, it was poetic. It was just -- it was him. And I think everybody feels that the person they see on television is the person that he is. And I think that is true.

Now I'm beginning to suspect that actually the person that we see on television is the person that we see in real life but that person is performing a little bit and there is clearly a person that we weren't quite seeing because otherwise that person wouldn't be dead now.

And so I'm replaying all these sort of moments and little glimpses and episodes, where I think, oh, there is a much more complex person there than I was realizing.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: OK, so let's talk about that because he was real so let's keep it real.

Did you sense that he was going through some things recently? Or did you...?

BUFORD: Yes, I -- it was precious to see Tony. I didn't see Tony -- I saw Tony regularly over 20 years. I spoke to him pretty regularly. I e-mailed pretty regularly with him. I don't regard myself as an intimate friend. And I regard myself as a friend.

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BUFORD: But I'm beginning to suspect that he didn't have many intimate friends. He once said that he has a lot of good friends for one week. And I think that is part of his performative (sic) self, is that he's -- there is this person who kind of has to keep busy because there is another person that maybe he is even hiding from himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And the tributes have been pouring in from around the world. Here are just a few of them.

From chef Gordon Ramsay, saying this, " Stunned and saddened by the loss of Anthony Bourdain. He brought the world into our homes and inspired so many people to explore cultures and cities through their food. Remember that help is a phone call away."

And then the American astronaut, Scott Kelly, tweeted this, "Just saw the sad news that Anthony Bourdain has died. I watched his show when I was in space. It made me feel more connected to the planet, its people and cultures and made my time there more palatable. He inspired me to see the world up close."

We're hearing from others who also know well how hard it is to deal with the sudden death of a loved one. The widow of the popular musician, Chester Bennington, the front man for Linkin Park, spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper about her experiences coping with Chester's suicide.

Like Bourdain, her husband had so much to live for. Talinda Bennington said signs of suicidal thoughts can be difficult to detect but not impossible; that is, with the right tools. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TALINDA BENNINGTON, CHESTER'S WIDOW: Suicidal ideation is the forerunner to actual suicidal tendencies and thoughts.

COOPER: By ideation, you mean thinking about it, possibly even planning it?

BENNINGTON: Yes. And I believe that if we can kind of open a lid on that and talk about that, that is one of the first stepping stones to changing the culture about how we speak about mental health.

You know, it is like bricks. You are building a wall. And if it gets to that point of the wall that it is so tall, then your next step is to do self-harm, serious self-harm in most cases. I can tell you I have not spoken to a single suicide survivor that says that they wish that they would have succeeded.

And that really sticks with me. As far as signs for knowing change, I have partnered with an existing organization, changedirection.org. I've co-founded 320 Changes Direction, 320 after my husband, that was his birthday.

And we believe there are five signs that you can watch for: a change in personality, somebody feeling hopeless, feelings of agitation. And you can find these signs at changedirection.org.

COOPER: Are those things that, in retrospect, you saw in your husband?

Because until one has gone through this, often you don't -- one doesn't notice these sorts of signs.

BENNINGTON: Oh, yes, I mean I definitely saw them throughout our marriage at different parts. They would come and go. I just wish I had these tools. I wish the conversation was created in homes more regularly before my husband took his life because I think that it would have created some sort of awareness to know that we're not alone in what we're going through.

Me, as a wife, experiencing from the sidelines what he was going through and he himself, because I know for a fact he hated to have any label placed upon him of being depressed on or an addict or whatever it was. He hated that.

COOPER: It's a hard conversation, though, for people who are having suicidal ideation or their loved ones to have or to raise because people don't want to bring it up. But at the same time, not talking about it, that is not helpful, either.

BENNINGTON: Right. Well, we're only as sick as our secrets. So if we can open the door where our secrets are kept and we can find somebody or find a group, some sort of support to talk about that with, for me, personally, right after my husband died, it was on Twitter, of all places.

I was reaching out to people -- I should say, people were reaching out to me. I was speaking back with them about what they were going through and how they were feeling.

And the overwhelming response was a lot of people feel the same way. They are all going through this and everybody feels alone. And it is just unbelievable. So I think our society is ready, we're ready for a change. And, you know, I'm sick of -- I'm sick of it being something embarrassing, something people don't want to talk about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: And a reminder, if you know of anyone who needs help, anyone at all, a family member, a friend, a colleague, if it is you, please reach out to the International Association for Suicide Prevention. They can --

[04:40:00]

HOWELL: -- guide you on how to find help wherever you are at anytime of the day. You can go to iasp.info and click on help.

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HOWELL: The leaders of Russia and China aren't at the G7 but they are keeping each other company. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping enjoyed a youth hockey game on Friday as part of Mr. Putin's state visit to China.

They are also attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The president of Iran and the prime ministers of India and Pakistan will also be at that summit. It's taking place in Qingdao and that is where Matt Rivers is following the story live.

And Matt, is this seen as sort of an alternative to the G7?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, none of the members here I think would go on the record and say that. But you can't ignore the fact that China and Russia, two of the world's preeminent powers, are here, speaking with one another. Their leaders are here at the same time that the G7 summit is going on, on the other side of the world.

It is interesting, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was started in 2001, China and Russia were original -- two of the original five members here. And it was initially started as kind of an alternative to these Western ideas of intervention and humanitarian issues and economic issues.

So it definitely was started as kind of an alternative to the kind of Western summits that we have seen. And as China as grown in prominence and importance on the world stage, this regional summit has grown in importance, too, which is why you now see countries like Pakistan and Iran sending their own dignitaries here to attend this summit.

But specifically, talking about Russia and China, we have seen these two countries really cement their friendship more and more over the past several --

[04:45:00]

RIVERS: -- years after decades of mistrust between these two countries. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping appear committed to these countries working together and presenting what many would call an alternative vision to what is usually seen as a unified Western front, despite the divisions right now between the United States and Europe.

Russia and China traditionally on the other side of the coin. And it seems both countries are embracing that model as an alternative vision for global influence. HOWELL: Matt Rivers, following that meeting. And we'll continue to follow it with you. Thank you.

So if things get tense between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un at their summit, is there anyone that can be a calming voice?

The answer is yes. Enter Dennis Rodman, basketball's bad boy and possible world peace negotiator. He is in Singapore for Tuesday's summit. Our Bianca Nobilo explains why.

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BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dennis Rodman is one of the few people who has spent time with both key players at the Singapore summit. He knows U.S. president Donald Trump from his appearance on "Celebrity Apprentice."

TRUMP: Dennis, you're fired.

NOBILO (voice-over): Although Rodman may have left the future first lady less than impressed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dennis Rodman essentially got fired for many reasons but one being his team misspelled your name, which is just wrong, right?

MELANIA TRUMP, U.S. FIRST LADY: You don't misspell a brand name. And it was all over the product. So I think he did a great job. But that was a big mistake.

NOBILO (voice-over): And, of course, there is Rodman's basketball bromance with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. They have met on three occasions, including on Kim's birthday in 2014.

In a 2014 interview with "Jour" magazine, he paints Kim as a jovial cruise director.

DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER: He laughs, jokes, all kinds of (INAUDIBLE). Man loves playing basketball, loves playing tennis table, he loves playing pool. He has 13-piece girl band. And so a karaoke machine is on, bringing in a real band, it's all girls.

NOBILO (voice-over): In this ABC interview, Rodman says Trump and Kim could indeed make a deal.

RODMAN: If Donald Trump had a chance, had a chance, he would get on a damn plane and go over and shake his hand and try to make peace. I'm asking him right now, Donald, come talk to me, let's try to work this out.

NOBILO (voice-over): One North Korea watcher sees a potential role for Rodman.

MICHAEL MADDEN, NORTH KOREA WATCHER: If he were to make some phone calls, Kim Jong-un and Trump would take those phone calls. But I think that if the summit in Singapore is successful, if they

attain some level of detente and rapprochement, Dennis Rodman is as good as anybody else that they can find that could serve as a goodwill ambassador. And there could be some sort of sports exchanges or cultural exchange activity.

NOBILO (voice-over): Could the Singapore summit prove that Dennis Rodman was crazy like a fox all along? -- Bianca Nobilo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Dennis Rodman. We'll see how it comes together.

So you start your commute as a normal guy but you leave as a hero. Still ahead, how one man found himself saving a bus full of passengers just trying to get home from work.

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[04:50:00]

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HOWELL: Sorry, LeBron fans. They did it again. Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, once again NBA champions. They swept LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in just four games. The final score, a whopping 108-85.

The Warriors' Kevin Durant was named the finals MVP. And to add insult to injury, Golden State won in Cleveland.

These Warriors fans were tracking the action from Golden State's home court in Oakland, California. They have a lot to celebrate. It is the Warriors' third title in just four years.

Now to the United Kingdom. Although Queen Elizabeth turned 92 years old in April, Saturday is the official celebration for her birthday. It is a military parade called trooping the color.

And the royal family will be at the queen's side, including the newest member, the Duchess of Sussex, the former Meghan Markle. CNN's Nina dos Santos is following the story live from Buckingham Palace with what we can expect -- Nina.

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNNMONEY EUROPE EDITOR: Thank very much. Good morning, George. The action is about to kick off in about an hour from now. Since 1748, British monarchs have had the good fortune of having two birthday celebrations, not just one.

One unofficial; the queen did turn 92 back in April but this is her annual birthday parade. It is largely a military occasion, an opportunity for the monarch to inspect her royal troops.

And we'll see a lot of them on the streets here in this small perimeter of Westminster near the palace; 1,400 soldiers are set to take place in this military march as they often do every year; 200 of the most expertise (sic) horsemen as well in the royal cavalry and 400 musicians inside the marching band.

Now often people ask, what exactly is trooping the color?

Essentially it is an opportunity for the monarch to inspect her troops but also for the color, the flag of one of these five key battalions to be hoisted and to be inspected as well.

And this year we know that it will be the First Battalion of the Irish Guards; the last time we saw their color or their flag raised here at the trooping of the color was back in 2009.

But the real moment that everybody will be waiting for is when the royal family begins to emerge in about an hour's time from the palace behind me. Perhaps it may well be that it is Prince Harry and his new bride that come out first.

And then they will be heading down toward the mall, toward the horse guards, where the main military parade will be taking place over the next --

[04:55:00]

DOS SANTOS: -- two hours. We'll hear 41 gun salutes. James Mattis, the U.S. Secretary of defense, will also be taking part in those celebrations, watching from the sidelines. And the main event culminates here with the most famous photo opportunity, the royal photo opportunity of the year, up on that balcony there.

And the royal family will gather to watch a fly-by that closes these events. We're likely to see them together with the newest member of the royal family, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle -- George.

HOWELL: Nina dos Santos, we'll keep in touch with you. Thank you.

Finally, a rush hour bus ride in Utah that could have easily ended in disaster. It started when passengers noticed their bus swerving across several lanes of traffic. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNETH MANOLA, BUS HERO: Are you OK?

HOWELL (voice-over): All right, context, the bus driver was having seizures and then fell unconscious. So one passenger, Kenneth Manola, had to take over. Other riders called police as Manola grabbed the wheel and directed the bus to the center lane.

He says he was in shock and struggled to get the driver's foot off the gas pedal. It took about a minute and a half before Manola could ease that bus onto the side of the road and then to safety. He says it was amazing really that no one got hurt.

MANOLA: I did the best I could, based on the situation, to try to get us out of harm's way. Bravery isn't the absence of fear but the ability to push through it.

HOWELL (voice-over): Authorities say the bus driver is recovering but will need a physical evaluation before returning behind the wheel. Certainly you want Manola on your bus if that were to happen.

Stay with us. The world's top stories are still ahead. CNN NEWSROOM is right back after the break.