The latest news from around the world. newsroom" starts right now. our top story, u.s. president donald trump fighting back against the latest accusations from lhis former attorney michael cohen. the president again denied having prior knowledge of a 2016 meeting at trump tower between his top campaign advisers and russians. according to our sources, cohen says the president knew about it. if cohen is telling the truth, it could be problematic for the white house. there are at least 20 instances over the past year in which mr. trump and his advisers have said mr. trump was not aware of the meeting. here are just a few examples. >> did you tell your father anything about this? >> it was such a nothing. there was nothing to tell. >> donald trump jr. put it all out today. >> did you he know the time that they had the meeting? >> no, i didn't know anything about the meeting. >> let's focus on what the president was aware. nothing. >> it must have been a very unborn meeting because i never heard about it. >> i wouldn't even have remembered it. it was a wasted 20 minutes, which is a shame. >> this meeting took place almost two years ago. it is easy to forget how the whole story unfolded and also how the trump camp has repeatedly changed its story about what happened that day. for more, here is our randi kaye. >> reporter: on june 3, 2016, in an e-mail from publicist rob goldstone, donald trump jr. is promised incriminating information about hillary clinton. his response, if it is what you say, i love it, especially later in the summer. six days later, don junior met with the russian lawyer at trump tower. joining him, paul manafort and his son-in-law jared kushner. when the "new york times" broke the story last year about the secret meeting, don jr. didn't initially disclose the intended purpose of the meeting. instead he said the purpose was to discuss the adoption of russian children. but the very next day when the "times" broke the news that the president's son was promised damaging information about hillary clinton, don jr. issued a statement saying the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to russia were supporting mrs. l clinton. he also said the lawyer changed the subject to adoption. two days after the story broke, white house press secretary sarah sanders denied the president had any prior knowledge of the meeting. >> when did the president learn that meeting had taken place? >> i believe in the last couple of days is my understanding. >> reporter: the next day on fox new, don jr. said his father was unaware of the meeting. >> did you tell your father anything about this? first of all, these two leaders seem keen on building their relationship, but perhaps it couldn't come at a worse time. >> reporter: well, in many ways it suits the russians perfectly to have this sort of inconsistency in washington on the one hand of course you've got the president's people under investigation for alleged collusion with russian hacking attempts and the indictments of 12 russian agents. and then on the other, you've got something approaching a bromance between the two presidents with vladimir putin repeatedly coming to the aid in terms of public relations of his rival or alleged supposed rival donald trump. so yesterday at the bric conference in johannesburg, for example, the russian president went out of his way to say that the interesting thing about donald trump is that he makes good on his campaign promises, that that was an unusual characteristic of a modern politician. and was praising him. and then went on to say that of course he would be delighted to visit washington and had at some earlier stage the implication being, although we have no evidence of it, maybe helsinki, could have been an earlier meetings when they met, there had been this informal invitation to donald trump to come to moscow. now, that would be a huge coup in atmosphere or dispensation in which robert mueller's investigation is still ongoing or may have just been concluded. who knows. but that would be a per risk could y terrific coup for the russians. but there is a sense also among russian commentators that this has gone a bit too far. there are people now, tv hosts and political programs, saying openly that donald trump behaves as though he smells like a kgb agent. >> right. one has to wonder about the optics of donald trump there visiting the kremlin. we'll wait and see when that day comes if it indeed does. sam kiley, thanks so much. well, let's talk more about these developments with leslie vinjamuri, she is head of the u.s. and america's program at chatham house. good to see you. always appreciate you coming on. >> thank you. >> at this point can you imagine a scenario for a trump/putin followup summit in the new future? what benefit would that serve? >> well, i think it would raise a lot of he questions right now. of course the reaction to this summit was certainly not favorable in washington. it is even not clear that it did much good for the president more generally, although the republicans are obviously staying with him. i think that there is -- when he gets too close to putin, i think there is a bit of a question and certainly americans even republicans i think were skeptical and not pleased to see him seemingly siding with putin overtelligence it that president trump so fiercely has said that he was not aware of that meeting until long after the fact and that he wasn't -- that he certainly didn't sanction it going forward, why has he held to that line, why is he trying to cover up. and it obviously raises a very serious question about collusion. but i think the other perhaps even more significant question surrounding this is the one of politics. we're heading up to a midterm election and there is a question of at what point will or whether it will ever really shift how trump's base feel about this, how republicans more broadly feel about the president. at the moment, the investigation and much that surrounds it is being seen outside of washington as something that is a distraction, that is taking up too much energy and too much time. we aren't seeing a lot of attitudes shift amongst the public with respect to whether they do or don't support the president, at least not advisably. if this comes out, it might begin to increase people's reluctance who have been on the fence a bit more as to whether to support those republicans who continue to support the president as we approach those midterm elections. >> the midterm elections just seems like a complete toss-up when you consider all the things that are on the plate or next to the plate or that may come on the plate, does it not. but you mentioned something about the president and he is really owning the narrative, though, hasn't he. say what you want, he sticks to his pr campaign. and he has really been relentless in blaming others and saying this is a hoax and don't believe anything you see or hear, listen to me. and for the most part, his supporters march on with him because he just continues to hammer that point. >> he owns the narrative within a particular segment of the russia investigation? how closely is it being watched? >> oh, i think if you -- if you're sitting in london as i am in europe and beyond, people are watching this. i think there is a confusion, sort of a lack of understanding as to why it is that americans don't universally take this more seriously. i think a lot of people see this as clearly below the standard that you would expect of an american president. but on any number of dimensions. you raise the question of tariffs. obviously juncker was in washington last week and that meeting turned out at least in the short term more favorably than many expected. so there are a number of dimensions on which around the world we're not seeing coming out of the white house from the president, from people around him, what one would expect. so the russia investigations are yet another dimension. and certainly i think that helsinki summit was a moment when many people thought that it was beyond the pale of what you would expect from an american president to really challenge the authority of his own intelligence agencies when sitting next to putin. but there are so many dimensions right now that i think the russia investigation is one that has been the primary focus has been within the united states. >> we always appreciate your in-cites, leslie vinjamuri, thank you. >> thank you. one final note before we move on to other news. and you can file this in the small world category. look who shared a gate friday at washington's reagan national airport. seated on the left, yes, that is special counsel robert mueller. on the right a short distance away in a teal shirt, donald trump jr. no indication the two men were aware of each other or that they did interacted, but came close. ahead here, a deadly inferno engulfing homes, this one in northern california. but it is just one of dozens of devastating fires across the world right now. we'll have more about it coming up here. you're watching "cnn newsroom." listerine® total care protects better than brushing alone. with 6 benefits in one, from cavity prevention to strengthening teeth. so instead of protection like this, you get protection like this. listerine® total care. bring out the bold.™ there's also a lot to know. the most important thing? medicare doesn't pay for everything. yep...you're on the hook for the rest. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. a plan like this helps pay some of what medicare doesn't. so you could end up paying less. and these are the only plans of their kind endorsed by aarp. selected for meeting their high standards of quality and service. call unitedhealthcare insurance company now to request this free decision guide, and learn more. like, medicare supplement plan, give you the freedom to go 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landscape. >> no idea what we'll do tomorrow. >> reporter: dominic and his wife sylvia never imagined they would see their house like this. >> we didn't think the fire was going to come here, so we didn't really take things out. like everybody else that was scrambling at the last minute to get out when we saw the fire on the ridge. >> reporter: officials say more extreme temperatures are in the forecast and it will only continue to make this fire all the more worrisome. it is one of several major pleases burning across the state and one of some 89 across the country. >> this is that new normal, that unpredictability, the large explosive growth fires. >> reporter: leaving firefighters working to control the flames and limit the damage as residents race against the clock to evacuate their homes. paul vercammen, cnn, redding, california. >> california over and over again we see this every year. >> difficult visuals to see and difficult to hear about the grandmother and two children that are missing. but the carr fire is one that we're focusing on. the california national guard has 800 troops that will help battle the blaze. look at some of the night visuals out of that region. just unbelievable to see. this could be your home, my home. you're he seeing cars burn. there is a basketball hoop in the front driveway. there is a 30,000-foot shadow from a plume of smoke from this fire that is blanketing much of northern california at the moment. the fire has also led to evacuations of nearly 40,000 residents. and you know, what latest numbers, we have had over 500 structures destroyed. nearly 75 structures damaged from this particular fire. and another fire this is just south and east of los angeles, the cranston fire, look at how it is approaching some of these homes. can you believe it? authorities believe that this series of fires was the cause of arson. let talk about the details. but what i don't like to see on 24 particul this particular map is how we're noticing the drought filling back into southern and central california. the three fires we focus on even though there are several more across the state, there is the carr fire just about 50,000 acres burned, only 5% containment. better news for the cranston and ferguson fires, it looks like firefighters are starting to get a handle on that, those numbers bumping up. redding, california just a little south of the oregon border, temperatures look hot. we're talking triple digit heat for the day today. and this fire, the carr fire, is massive. but just to put it in p perspecti perspective, it didn't top the ten largest. if you recall back in december of 2017, the thomas fire in ventura. as paul mentioned in the package before me, we had over 80 fires active over the western u.s. the actual number is 89 as we speak. this is all amidst an extreme heat wave that continues to boil over the western parts of the country. it has started to relax along the coastal areas, but in-nd la xh inland community, we have watches and warnings in effect. look at the treniple digit heat. this hot weather has no signs of going anywhere. extreme heat continues. and therefore i'm sure we'll be talk about wildfires for several days if not weeks to come. >> and we have heat in europe as well. euro tunnel says extreme heat in southeast england is causing very long delays for people traveling under the channel to france. this is just another way the brutal heat wave there is making life miserable for people in western europe and it is not letting up. it is also increasing the spread of wildfires in sweden just like it contributed to the deadly fires in greece last week. erin mclaughlin takes a closer look. >> reporter: the fires are gone, but the devastation remained. an eerie silence has fallen on this virlage where houses once stood, now just charred remains. nothing was spared. authorities believe arson was to blame. >> this is the first time in 38 years of my service seeing so much catastrophe from a fire. >> reporter: as the blaze tore through the coastal village, many sought refuge in the water, but dozens died, almost 200 injured. >> translator: i feel a pain in my heart, a very heavy load. a very big burden. >> reporter: greece is not alone. across europe, tinder dry conditions combined with a scorching heat wave are stretching emergency services to the element. in sweden, a fire front continues to burn out of control. even the country's air force has been deployed to help, dropping a bomb to try to starve a nearby fire of oxygen. >> translator: it is not something we've done before, so we've been working closely with the rescue leader and we have done meticulous calculations. >> reporter: germany too is dealing with its own fires, including one which forced the closure of a major motorway. but its emergency services are also being deployed in other ways. amid sweltering temperatures, firefighters are being used to water the trees, while in berlin, the water cannon usually reserved for riot control has been brought out, this time low to keep the heat at bay. erin mclaughlin, cnn, london. we have good news for you. the u.s. economy is skyrocketing, but however the economists warn what goes up must come down. they have a new warning on the numbers. we'll share that with you ahead here. also china has its eyes set on africa, what more free trade could mean for its ambitions there. you're watching "cnn newsroom." we let calls from any of your devices come from your business number. them, not so much. we let you keep an eye on your business from anywhere. the others? nope! get internet on our gig-speed network and add voice and tv for $34.90 more per month. call or go online today. welcome back to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world, you're watching "cnn newsroom." i'm natalie allen. here are our top stories. firefighters are working against hot and windy conditions to try to control the carr fire in northern california. two people have been killed since the fire started monday. it is only 5% contained and has already coupled nearly 50,000 acres or almost 20,000 hectares. u.s. president trump says there is no truth to the accusation he knew in advance of a 2016 meeting with russians at trump tower. mr. trump suggested his former attorney michael cohen made up the claim because cohen is under criminal investigation. russian president vladimir putin says he is ready to visit washington. however, that invitation has been pushed to next year by the white house. mr. putin also invited the u.s. president to moscow, but says any meeting between them must have what he calls necessary conditions. new data shows the u.s. economy grew at its fastest rate since 2014. in the last three months, the annualized u.s. gdp was 4.1%, that surge is a result of a number of factors and let's look at them. business investment rose as companies invested some of the money they saved from tax cuts. consumer spending and government spending both increased. and counter intuitively, concern over a trade war helped too. u.s. exports rose as foreign buyers stocked up on american products before they were hit with tariffs. if the economy grows at 3% for the entire year, it will be the highest growth since 2005. >> during each of the two previous administrations, we averaged just over 1.8% gdp growth. by contrast, we are now on track to hit an average gdp annual growth of over 3% and it could be substantially over 3%. each point by the way means approximately $3 trillion and 10 million jobs. >> let's take a look at how these numbers stack up against the last three administrations. george w. bush hit a 6.9% growth rate in 2003. and then the obama administration reached 5.2%. and bill clinton's economy back in hit a 7.8 growth rate. that was then, but this is now. earlier we spoke with financial expert about how to look at the current economy. >> i think there are two big things that people should be looking at. one is what is going to happen with these tariffs and what will happen with trade wars. i think that is actually the biggest risk factor that we're facing for the markets and for the economy. and it can just be as little as the threat of a trade war that can make people and businesses pull back. the second thing is interest rates. so what will happen to interest rates, are they going to continue to go up and at what point do short term rates get higher than long term rates. that is what we call interest rate inversion. when that happens almost for the last 40 years you see this very pr predictable pattern of the stock market hitting its peak within six months and then another six months of a sister thaafter tha out. >> and the u.s. is threatening more tariffs, but the presidents of russia and china are promising the opposite. vladimir putin and xi jinping were both at a bric summit this week, the leaders signed a joints declaration promising open and inclusive trading. for years china has sought better economic and military ties in africa and president xi is capping off an africa tour. for more on this, i'm joined now from johannesburg by collin coleman, managing director for sub saharan africa and partner at goldman sachs. thanks so much for joining us. we'll begin with president xi jinping kicking off this year's summit, critical of the u.s. for escalating tariffs on foreign products. is the trade war hurting emerging economies, those of the countries present at the meeting there? >> there is certainly concern among south african a leaders that emerging markets are going to experience potential collateral damage from a potential trade war between the goliaths in the global economy being china and the united states. and that was expressed strongly this past week in both bilateral china/africa meeting between president xi and in the bric summit itself. >> but is there is a way that major emerging economies, the ones that are gathered there, could actually benefit from trade tensions? are there ways to work around it? >> well, it is very difficult because the macro impacts of rising interest rates in the united states, which you touched on in your introduction, stronger u.s. dollar means that investors are going to tend to withdraw from ehe mergie investors are going to tend to withdraw from ehe mergiemerging and focus on the u.s., and that creates a very difficult backdrop for countries like south africa and other african countries. but the big opportunity for the african nations is to create an environment for chinese manufacturing which displaced ot into the african economies. so country like ethiopia is focusing on that, south africa is thinking about industrial hubs to attracti manufacturing opportunities from all countries. so there is let's call it an ongoing revision of policies with a view to how do we take advantage or deal with the challenges of the global tensions. >> right. so in some respects, is that helping africa? china has particular interest in investing in africa and perhaps looking for new ways to do that to circumvent what is going on with the united states. >> well, i would say if you just take a step back, it is already 12 years since the african president's converged on beijing for the 2006 summit. it is also by the way ten years now exactly a decade since the formation of the brics which saw the standard bank investment by icbc for $5.5 billion exactly ten years ago which i was closely involved in. so you've seen and ongoing attempt by the countries to take advantage of this unfolding african focus of the chinese. i must say the last few years have been particularly hard for africa because of the commodity environment, the oil price going down to below $40 at various points. but as it has come back to its current levels between $70 and $80 a barrel, the commodity countries, the oil-producing countries in particular, have managed to stabilize, currencies have stabilized. and so the environment for diversification from that stable point and the use of surplus oil funds is now back on the agenda i guess. and the concept of sovereign wealth funds and mineral and industrial diverse ifverse if e indication is very much on the agenda. >> so the brics countries.die d indication is very much on the agenda. >> so the brics countries. how does the united states compare to say china's commitment to invest in africa? where is the united states in this? >> well, there was a recent visit by the head of the overseas private investment corporation to south africa where they were investing -- looking to invest around a billion dollars in south africa which is positive. but you contrast that against chinese pledge if not actually investment of $14 billion including a $2.5 billion committed loan to the state electricity utility which is much needed at this point. so it feels like the united states certainly over the last decade has upped their focus as government to government on african nations. but china is extremely tilted into the african relationship. and in terms of volume of trade, investment, and commitment they dwarf the united states at this point. >> last question. are you more optimistic than pessimistic about investment in africa? >> it is certainly something that is attracting global attention. and as we enter into a renewed phase of african growth more toward ss 5%, i think we will sustain that interest. so, yes, i'm optimistic about the if y future for africa. >> we thank you so much. collin coleman of goldman sachs, thank you for giving us your time. yet another powerful media figure is accused of sexual misconduct. details ahead. sexual misconduct this is not a bed. with the fastest retinol formula available. it's clinically proven to work on fine lines and wrinkles. one week? that definitely works! rapid wrinkle repair®. and for dark spots, rapid tone repair. neutrogena®. see what's possible. i knew at that exact moment ... i'm beating this. my main focus was to find a team of doctors. it's not just picking a surgeon, it's picking the care team and feeling secure in where you are. visit cancercenter.com/breast doesn't permit an american pastor to return to the united states. andrew brown son andrew brunson is under house arrest. he was arrested in 2016 in a crackdown after the attempted coup in the country. he says he is not guilty of charges including espionage and having terrorist links. now a senior u.s. official says president trump asked israel's prime minister to help secure brunson's release with a prisoner swap. turkey says they never made any kind of deal. >> there was a work group established to address and resolve the outstanding legal issues between the u.s. and turkey regarding both the brunson case and the atilla case, the jailed banker in the united states. so anything negotiated is being done under that working group and there has been no such deal as was reported in this newspaper. and our understanding is that there is a lack of coordination between the white house and the state department because it seems the white house's remarks came as a surprise. >> the "new yorker" is reporting sexual misconduct allegations against one of the most powerful men in u.s. television. cbs chairman and ceo les moonves. cnn has not independently confirmed the allegations. the article cites incidents of unwanted advances, intimidation and retaliation involving six women. author ronan farrow discussed his story. >> they all continue to fear retaliation. janet jones the writer you mentioned describes him calling her afterwards and threatening her and saying these sort of things that appear to be clichés to us, but obviously coming after a work meeting and after an alleged assault like there are very serious like you'll never work again. and she and these other women were still frightened to come forward, but said they were doing so because they wanted to good x. po expose the culture that could protect other women if reversed. >> moonves responded saying this, here is a quote, i recognize that there were times decades ago when i may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. those were mistakes and i regret them immensely. but i always understood and respected and abided by the principle that no means no. and i have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone's career. cbs' independent board of directors says it will review the claims and take appropriate action. disney and lucas film have announced the cast list for "star wars: episode ix," and it includes a major surprise, but don't worry, it is not jar jar bin binks. because there are options. like an "unjection™". xeljanz xr. a once-daily pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well enough. xeljanz xr can reduce pain, swelling and further joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz xr can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz xr if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz xr, and monitor certain liver tests. tell you doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. needles. fine for some things. but for you, one pill a day may provide symptom relief. ask your doctor about xeljanz xr. an "unjection™". she was stolen. they weren't the only victims. rafael romo reports on chile's children of silence in this cnn exclusive. >> reporter: there were no words. only tears of joy. it is the hug that she wishes she could have given her daughter 36 years ago. >> i've been waiting my whole life to find my mother. >> reporter: elyse grew up in the united states with her adoptive parents. she says they were always forthcoming about her adoption and the country she came from. >> the story i was told was that my family had essentially never meant to keep me. >> reporter: but she says she always wondered if she had truly been abandoned as her adoption documents state. she contacted chilean authorities in february to ask for help in finding her would i logical parentsship she got the answer she was hoping for, they were still alive and very eager to meet her. her biological mother says she never intended to give her up for adoption. >> no, no, no. >> reporter: she says she had a very difficult labor and nearly died. during that time, she, her husband and other members of the family asked employees at the state-run hospital about their daughter, but they never saw her again. they were living under a military dictatorship and the family feared that asking too many questions would put them in danger. >> with the politics at the time and adoption not being regulated until years after i was adopted, and everyone looking at the social worker who processed my adoption, there are a lot of things -- elements of it that were just incomplete and inconsistent with what i was told. >> reporter: chilean government officials today say there were so many questionable adoptions back then that authorities now have a name for babies like this. they are called children of silence. babies who were taken away from their biological parents in the '70s and '80s in many cases without their consent or knowledge and given to address don adoptive parents. those children now in their 30s and 40s are asking about a skre secret kept from them. cnn has documented several cases of adoptions like these including that of travis tolliver who was also raised in america and didn't meet his biological mother until he was 41 years old. >> i was wanted, you know. i wasn't given up willingly like i thought for all these years. so that makes my heart feel wonderful. >> reporter: in 2015, chilean authorities named a special prosecutor to begin investigating a list of these so-called irregular adoptions, a list reported to include nearly 600 families. this man heads an organization that helps families find each other and has an even larger list. >> we have 3,000 people that are looking for them. these are adoptive people and families that are looking for babies that were stolen from them. >> reporter: she says during those decades, there were entire mafia stealing babies from impoverished families to profit from their sale while the government looked the other way or simply ignored victims. >> who is responsible for this? doctors, midwifes and social assistants that were looking for poor people to stole their kids. because we need to understand that these kids were sold. this is not for good will of-this wasn't for a good thing. they were mafia selling babies to outside chile. >> reporter: there were always be unanswered questions. the hospital why elyse was born no longer exists. and the same goes for the adoption agency. for now it doesn't matter. how do you feel right now? >> happy. very happy. >> reporter: her adoptive parents passed away a few years ago, so she says her chilean family and an adopted sister are all she's got. >> my mom, this is my family. you know, i think it is just -- you always want to know where you came from. >> reporter: neither one of them speaks the other's language, but the love between a mother and her child they say knows no barriers. rafael romo, cnn, santiago, chile. >> at least it has a good independenting. carrie fisher is gone, but her legacy aspirin says turned princess leia has not. she will appear in "star wars: episode ix." the plowers will use outtakes the actress shot during "the force awakens" before her death. this newest installment of the space saga starts filming next week. it is expected to land in our galaxy in december 2019. and you can bet we'll be talking about it until then. the second hour of "newsroom" begins with the top stories right after this.