hillary clinton defending her use of e-mail as secretary of state. pressed if she has wiped her server clean before handing it over to the fbi. president obama facing new opposition to the nuclear deal with iran from within his own party. happening now. investigators hunting for the man behind a deadly bombing in bangkok. we are live with how they plan to track him down. good morning. i'm christine romans. it is wednesday, august 19thth. good to see you this morning. john berman hat morning off. a first. hillary clinton strongly defending herself as questions mount about her private e-mail

server. she took questions from reporters after a town hall event in nevada. clinton repeating her stance she never september or received anything classified from a nongovernment e-mail account and she says she does not know if her private server was ever wiped clean. clinton now getting testy with the reporters over the line of questioning. >> my personal e-mails are my personal business, right? so that is all i can say. >> wipe the server? >> i'm not -- you know, i have no idea. that's why we turned it over. >> you were the official in charge. did you wipe the server? >> like, with a cloth or something? >> i don't know. you know how it works initially. >> i don't know how it works digitally at all. >> jeff zeleny was hors on the controversy. >> reporter: hillary clinton was defy@a defiant on tuesday night saying she did not receive or send any e-mail messages their marked classified. she was there for a town hall

meeting and took questions from reporters afterwards and the e-mail dominated the conversation. >> whether it was a personal account or a government account, i did not send classified material and i did not receive any material that was marked or designated classified, which is the way you know whether something is, what you're seeing now is a disagreement between agencies saying, you know what? they should of and the other saying no, they shouldn't. that has nothing to do with me. if it had been a government account and i said, release it, we would be having the same arguments. >> reporter: of course, she is facing questions from reporters, congressional hearings are just around the corner and even a justice department investigation about this ongoing e-mail controversy is still in front of her. this all goes back to her decision to use a private e-mail server while she was secretary of state. now running for president is all about navigating obstacles and she has a few in front of them. she is 20 points ahead of

senator bernie sanders of vermont but she does have obstacles. whether it's the black lives matter that have been following her or answering questions for yet another day about the controversy over that private e-mail serve ser she decided to use as secretary of state. she is defiant saying she did nothing wrong and she closed her time in tv saying i know there is a certain level of anxiety or interest in this, but the facts are the facts. christine, i can tell you those questions will keep on going as she keeps on campaigning. >> jeff zeleny, thank you for that. all scheduled to speak at an education summit. donald trump also heading to thamps. he'll hold the first town hall event of his campaign. no doubt, immigration will be front and center. trump's controversial plan now forcing much of the gop field to tackle the notoriously sticky subject. candidates are weighing in both for and against elements of the trump agenda.

>> what about the 14th amendment to the constitution which the courts have said automatically grant citizenship to children born in the united states, even if their parents are here illegally? >> well, i think that's going to require a little bit more discussion. the fact is that we have operated under that assumption really since the 1800s. and to change it, it would require some strong will, either on the part of the president. >> our southern-based border is being penetrated every single day by drug cartels and pushing drugs, firearms, human trafficking and no sovereign nation could be in position with that happening. i'll secure the border once and for all and uphold the laws of the great united states of america. >> i don't agree with that. i'm opening to prevent things to prevent people who illegally come to the united states and taking advantage of the 14th amendment but it's not in favor of appealing it. >> the idea we would go out in

cars and hunt people down, it's not doable and, secondly, i don't think it's right! i don't think it's humane! >> this constitutionally protected right and i don't support revoking it. there is a way to use leadership to solve abuses for people that are coming into the country, having children so that their children can be scitizens. that is a legitimate problem. in a targeted way you can deal with this issue, but to suggest that people born in this country are not united states citizens and they don't have this in the constitution, i just reject out of hand. >> be sure to join us tonight for a cnn special report, the donald trump interview. the republican front-runner sits down with chris cuomo to discuss his campaign. tonight only on cnn at 9:00. new jersey senator bob menend menendez, the senior member of the foreign relations committee. he says the deal allows iran to

use the money it gains to further destabilize the region. so how could the senator's opposition affect the president's efforts to get lawmakers on board? cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta has more. >> reporter: christine, the list of democrats coming out against the iran deal is growing, as expected. the senate foreign relations committee former chairman bob menendez announced his opposition to the nuclear agreement and joining senator chuck schumer who has also decided against the deal. here is what menendez had to say about his opposition of this deal. >> i have looked into my own self and my decision to principle may unfortunately lead me to a an popular course but if iran were to acquire an nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it. >> reporter: that decision goes to republican senator jeff flake who likely ended any white house hopes for bipartisan support for the deal. a white house official did say that the president is engaged on this issue, while he is on vacation here at martha's

vineyard adding, quote, we remain confidently that ultimately a majority of democrats in both the house and the senate will support this deal. that is critical as republicans face an uphill battle, needing 11 more democratic senators to defy the president, vote to block the agreement, and then join gop efforts to overhide any presidential vetoes. that is not to mention the dozens of democratic defections republicans are also seeking in the house. which explains why senate majority leader mihm mcconnell was quoted in kentucky this week saying the president has a great likelihood of success. christine? >> thanks so much for that, jim acosta. time for an "early start" on your money this wednesday morning. stocks are down around the world. asian shares mostly lower thanks to worries about the stability of china's economy. and european shares are down too. the german parliament voting on the latest bailout package for greece this morning. this is the third greek bailout and worth $95 billion and if it

f passes, greek will receive desperately needed cash on thursday. visa in a huge 2013 data breach and money goes to banks that issue visa cards related to expenses related to the hack. it follows the rejection with a smaller settlement with mastercard. . breaking news overnight. a motel suddenly explodes in washington. the damage report after the break. mom has always been one of those people

who needs to keep busy. if she's not working in her garden, she's probably on one of her long walks with bailey. she was recently diagnosed with a heart condition. i know she's okay, but it concerned me she's alone so often. so i encouraged her to get a medical alert button. philips lifeline offers the best options to keep her doing the things she loves in the home she loves. if she ever falls, or needs help, i know we can get to her quickly, and with her condition that can be critical. and even though she doesn't typically go far from home, the button always goes with her. these days, she's still as busy as ever. just the way she likes it. innovation and you. philips lifeline. lifeline is america's #1 medical alert service. visit philipslifeline.com/caregiver today or call this number for your free brochure and ask about free activation. among older adults, falls are the leading cause

of fractures, hospital admissions and injury deaths. in fact every 2.3 seconds a senior will fall and every 15 seconds that fall will require medical treatment. philips lifeline provides the products and services your loved ones need to ensure they get help fast. for 40 years, we've led the industry with the most innovative medical alert solutions. gosafe is the most advanced on-the-go solution allowing seniors the ability to leave their home and still be found in an emergency. if the senior falls and is unable to push the button, autoalert's fall detection technology calls for them. just having a medical alert button isn't what's important, having the most effective and proven medical alert service that has saved more lives than any other in the industry is. find out how you can worry less and your loved ones can do more, visit philipslifeline.com/caregiver today or call this number for your free brochure and ask about free activation.

back open today after a deadly pipe bomb attack. a police spokesman now saying authorities are very sure this man here in the yellow shirt, is the bomber. this morning, thailand offering a big reward for helping track him down. cnn's simon moosin is live in bangkok this morning. bring us up to speed, saima.

>> reporter: yes, police have announced a $1 million bond and that is more than $30,000 reward for any help leading to identifying this suspect. now, that suspect has been identified as that man in the yellow shirt they believe came in with a back ppack. police also told us in a press conference that they believe he was not acting alone, christine. there were other people helping him, monitoring the situation. perhaps even helping him make that bomb. they are looking for other suspects too. teen, they are using the model of the boston bombing. how police identified the bombers there after the marathon, asking people to come forward with mobile phone footage and photographs. this is an incredibly popular shrine. we have been discussing it over the last few days. amongst locals, as well as tourists, there must be a lot of people have taken photographs and footage here and they want

them to help them identify him. the police have been coming here throughout the day, first thing in the morning. family members of the victims of that bombing came to pay their respects to say their prayers. they were joined by a number of monks and a short while ago, christine, the united states embassy charge of affairs arrived here. he laid down flowers and saying a statement saying the united states stands side-by-side with thailand throughout this time. they condemn the bombing and asking people to get through this with the spirit of togetherness that thailand is known for and one more thing, christine. that shrine has evidence of the bombing here. imagine. this statue is made of solid metal. it was damaged by the shrapnel from that bombing. it's unemergenciable what happened to the people here and what they went through. >> indeed, it is.

saima mohsin, thank you very much. overnight an explosion in motel six in washington state leaves one man critically injured. it happened in bremer. a gas leak happened when the blast occurred. >> i arrived late. booked into the room. watched a little tv. go to dinner and coming back and saw the black smoke and wonder what that is. we come back and it looks like part of the motel has blown up. shock when we turned up. last week of our holiday sitting in that room. >> it's still unclear if everyone got out of the building before that explosion. a teenage student facing her alleged prep school attacker at his rape trial. the 16-year-old will be back on the witness stand today. she claims owen le brea sexually

assaulted her during senior salute at the st. paul's school. prosecutors say the senior's own words point to his guilt. >> shortly after the assault [ bleep ] messaged him, asking him, did you wear a condom? you'll ask -- you'll see his responses that he sends back. are you on the pill? i think you're okay. you should be good. i put it on halfway through, referring to the condemn. >> realized at that moment that is not what he should do. and he told her, let's just get on our clothes and head down and [ bleep ] said yes.

evidence will show is that they never did have sex. >> the senior salute is expected to play a significant role in this trial with former and current students testifying about the school's sexual environment. ex-subway pitch man jared fogle is expected to plead guilty today to child pornography charges. fbi agents, you'll recall, raided his indiana home last month. about five weeks they seized dvds and computers in his home. subway suspended their relationship with jared shortly after that raid. earlier this year an assistant for his foundation was arrested for child pornography. texas state's lieutenant governor says legislative hearings will begin in

september. police say bland hanged herself with a garbage bag in her cell days after her arrest following a traffic stop. bland's family has filed a wrongful death suit. three people remain missing following heavy rains that triggered a series of landslides in alaska. officials say 2 1/2 inches fell in 22 hours causing landslides and sinkholes. alaska's governor declaring a state of emergency and plans to travel to the affected area today to survey the damage. wildfires still ripping through seven states out west. this one the so-called rough fire, burning in fresno, california. you can see the flames and the smoke just pouring from what is an inferno there. so far this fire alone growing to nearly 21,000 acres. crews having a very tough time gaining an upper hand. >> we are hitting it with everything that we can. we have brought an aircraft, we have brought in hand crews, dozer lines. we are doing everything we can to get this fire out as soon as

possible. >> firefighters battling wildfires in montana, idaho, washington and california. the total acres burned so far this year is more than 7 million. for mere, here is pedram javaheri. >> incredible temperature trend the next couple of days. looks like some improvement going from 90 in the northwest to the 70s. unfortunately with all of this comes gusty wind and the concern around the fire threat over the western portion of the united states. look at this footage. this is coming out of an area near the soto fire in boise, idaho. what is known as a fire tornado developing over this weregion. you get differences in air masses that create tornadoes, but in this case you have tremendous heat rising from the flames in the vicinity around 2,000 degrees fahrenheit and turbulent weather in the vicinity of this area picks it up and brings up columns of rotation that is occur in this fire nado as it's known. has the potential to cause

large-scale damage and it brings debris with it and lofting it. what the firefighters have to deal with when you're talking about spot are fires down the stream. a severe weather threat around areas of michigan the next 24 hours. 3.5 million people dealing with that. temperatures cooling off into the 70s while tor, while thunde new york, about 72 degrees. reward for helping to find two paintings. these were among six paintings stolen from a private art collector in maine back in 2013. four other paintings were recovered from a pawn shop in beverly hills. the two remaining paints are wor worth7 million and believed to be in new england.

mike huckabee visits israel and has a new plan for the nuclear deal. that is coming up. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, it could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. see why millions of people have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. don't wait. call now.

candidate mike huckabee is in israeli today and set to hold a news conference in jerusalem this morning. he is expected to focus on the iran deal and he is, of course, a vocal critic of that green light. orien is in jerusalem for us this morning. good morning. >> good morning, christine. governor mike huckabee expected

to meet prime minister benjamin netanyahu later on today and shouldn't be surprised what they talk about in terms of the iran deal because netanyahu has been the deal's most outspoken critic. here is what huckabee had to say when he spoke with cnn's wolf blitzer. >> we violated every single thing that we said was a prerequisite in this, whether it was any time, anywhere inspections, whether it was they couldn't have any enrichment, whether there were unlimited access to the inspections. none of that turned out to be true. we caved in on all of it. we don't even have our hostages back. >> reporter: we will see what mike huckabee has to say at the press conference. he absolutely poopposes the ira deal. if israeli is in west bank he held a fund-raiser in the west bank settlement of shilo. nothing subtle about huckabee's

opinions on the iran deal. >> i know he'll be speaking to the media later morning. elderly expert of antiquitieses, kalid alasa'ad was beheaded tuesday in the stis' public swesti city's public square. now killing that man. hillary clinton on the defensive facing new questions about her use of e-mail as secretary of state. next. mom has always been one of those people who needs to keep busy. if she's not working in her garden, she's probably on one of her long walks with bailey. she was recently diagnosed with a heart condition. i know she's okay, but it concerned me she's alone so often. so i encouraged her to get a medical alert button.

philips lifeline offers the best options to keep her doing the things she loves in the home she loves. if she ever falls, or needs help, i know we can get to her quickly, and with her condition that can be critical. and even though she doesn't typically go far from home, the button always goes with her. these days, she's still as busy as ever. just the way she likes it. innovation and you. philips lifeline. lifeline is america's #1 medical alert service. visit philipslifeline.com/caregiver today or call this number for your free brochure and ask about free activation. among older adults, falls are the leading cause of fractures, hospital admissions and injury deaths. in fact every 2.3 seconds a senior will fall and every 15 seconds that fall will require medical treatment. philips lifeline provides the products and services your loved ones need to ensure they get help fast. for 40 years, we've led the industry with the most

innovative medical alert solutions. gosafe is the most advanced on-the-go solution allowing seniors the ability to leave their home and still be found in an emergency. if the senior falls and is unable to push the button, autoalert's fall detection technology calls for them. just having a medical alert button isn't what's important, having the most effective and proven medical alert service that has saved more lives than any other in the industry is. find out how you can worry less and your loved ones can do more, visit philipslifeline.com/caregiver today or call this number for your free brochure and ask about free activation.

♪ hillary clinton making jokes, but questions over her e-mail use as secretary of state are mounting this morning. another democratic senator coming out against the iran nuclear deal. how this new opposition could affect the president's plan ahead. happening now, a manhunt to find the man behind a deadly bombing in bangkok. we are live with new developments there. welcome back to "early start" i'm christine romans. wednesday morning. 29 minutes past the hour. john berman has the morning off. politics first up this morning. hillary clinton defending herself as questions mount about her private e-mail server. she took questions from reporters after a town hall event in nevada. clinton repeating her stance she never september, never received anything marked classified from a nongovernment e-mail account. she also says she does not know if her private server was ever

wiped clean. now, this following an nbc news report, an nbc report the server may have been attempted to be cleared before it was turned over to the fbi and the bureau is looking to recover that data. clinton now getting testy with reporters over questioning about that server. >> my personal e-mails are my personal business, right? so that is all i can say. >> you wiped the server? >> i'm not -- you know, i have no idea. that's why we turned it over. >> you were the official in charge. did you wipe the server? >> like, with a cloth or something? >> i don't know. you know how it works initially. >> i don't know how it works digitally at all. >> cnn's jeff zeleny has more on the controversy. >> good morning x christine. hillary clinton was defiant on tuesday night saying she did not receive or send any e-mail messages their marked classified. she was there for a town hall meeting, but she took questions from reporters afterwards and

the e-mail questions dominated the conversation. >> whether it was a personal account or a government account, i did not send classified material and i did not receive any material that was marked or designated classified, which is the way you know whether something is. what you're seeing now is a disagreement between agencies saying, you know what. they should of and the other saying no, they shouldn't. that has nothing to do with me. if it had been a government account and i said, release it, we would be having the same arguments. >> reporter: of course, she is facing questions from reporters, congressional hearings are just around the corner and even a justice department investigation about this ongoing e-mail controversy is still in front of her. this all goes back to her decision to use a private e-mail server while she was secretary of state. now running for president is all about navigating obstacles and she sure has a few in front of her. she is the front running

candidate, she is some 20 points ahead of senator bernie sanders of vermont but she does have obstacles. whether it's the black lives matter that have been following her or answering questions for yet another day about the controversy over that private e-mail server she decided to use as secretary of state. she is defiant saying she did nothing wrong and she closed her time in nevada saying, i know there is a certain level of anxiety or interest in this, but the facts are the facts. christine, i can tell you those questions will keep on going as she keeps on campaigning. back to you. >> so much more about the e-mail controversy than about the domestic agenda. that has to be frustrating for the campaign. on the republican side, candidates are converging on new hampshire today. john kasich, jeff bub, chris christie and bobby jindal expected to speak at an education new hampshire. donald trump is heading remain. no doubt immigration will coming up. it is forcing much of the gop

field to tackle this notoriously sticky subject. candidates are weighing in both for and against the trump's agenda. >> what about the 14th amendment to the constitution which the courts have said automatically grant citizenship to children born in the united states, even if their parents are here illegally? >> well, i think that's going to require a little bit more discussion. the fact is that we have operated under that assumption really since the 1800s. and to change it, it would require some strong will, either on the part of the president. >> our southern-based border is being penetrated every single day by drug cartels and pushing drugs, firearms, human trafficking, and no sovereign nation could be in position with that happening. as president, i'm going to secure the border once and for all, and i will uphold the laws of the great united states of america. >> i don't agree with that. i'm opening to prevent things to prevent people from deliberately

coming to the u.s. and taking advantage of the 14th amendment but i'm not in favor of appealing it. >> the idea we would go out in cars and hunt people down, it's not doable and, secondly, i don't think it's right! i don't think it's humane! >> this constitutionally protected right and i don't support revoking it. there is a way to use leadership to solve abuses for people that are coming into the country, having children so that their children can be citizens. that is a legitimate problem. in a targeted way, you can deal with this issue, but to suggest that people born in this country are not united states citizens and they don't have this in the constitution, i just reject out of hand. >> be sure to join us tonight for a cnn special report, the donald trump interview. the republican front-runner sits down with chris cuomo to discuss his campaign. that is tonight at 9:00 only on cnn. now to the iran nuclear deal. another top democrat coming out against the dregreen light. this time, it's new jersey

senator bob menendez, the senior member of the foreign relations committee. he says the deal allows iran to use the money it gains to further destabilize the region. so how could the senator's opposition hurt the president's effort to get lawmakers aboard? cnn's senior white house correspondent jim acosta tells us. >> reporter: christine, the list of democrats coming out against the iran deal is growing, as expected. the senate foreign relations committee's former chairman bob menendez announced his opposition to the nuclear agreement and joining senator chuck schumer who has also decided against the deal. here is what menendez had to say about his opposition to this deal. >> i have looked into my own self and my decision to principle may unfortunately lead me to a an popular course, but if iran is to acquire an nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it. >> reporter: ma deny dez is hardly the biggest setback for the white house. that decision goes to republican senator jeff flake who likely ended any white house hopes for

bipartisan support for the deal. a white house official did say that the president is engaged on this issue, while he is on vacation here at martha's vineyard adding, quote, we remain confident that ultimately a majority of democrats in both the house and the senate will support this deal. that is critical, as republicans face an uphill battle, needing 11 more democratic senators to defy the president, vote to block the agreement, and then join gop efforts to override any presidential vetoes. that is not to mention the dozens of democratic defections republicans are also seeking in the house, which explains why senate majority leader mitch mcconnell was quoted in kentucky this week saying the president has a great likelihood of success. christine? >> jim acosta, thanks. >> bangkok's erawan slohrine is back open today after that pipe bomb attack. a police spokesman now saying authorities are very sure this man here in the yellow shirt, is the bomber. they are saying this morning

that he is the bomber. this morning, thailand offering a big reward for helping track him down. cnn's saima moosin is live in bangkok this morning. authorities say they are sure, very sure that is the man, saima. >> reporter: yes, christine, they are. they say they believe the man that left the bomb inside this shrine is that man in the yellow t-shirt but he was crucially not acting alone and they have offered a $1 million bond and that is more than $30,000 to help find him. the shrine is now open. people have been steadily coming here throughout the day and paying their respects and lighting incense and praying and laying flowers for the dead. this is the shrine. it is a hindu god but, christine, people from all walks of life, all religions that come here, buddhists and hindus, a large indian community here and a lot of chinese tourists come here too. if you look around, you can see

people, local people and foreigners who come here today and come here every day as they always do. if you look beyond the people here, there is a visible police presence. we have been told that every member of the police force who is available has been deployed throughout the city. this is now very high visibility operation. they want people to feel safe. they want people to feel secure and the fact that thailand is on guard, this, christine, is really at the heart of the city for many reasons. not just -- above us is a sky train, a major arterial way of getting around here. this place, as i say, it brings together all of the religions and cultures of thailand in one place. of course, the fact that there are so many tourists that come here and so many people that were injured and killed in this bombing, lead the prime minister

to say he believed that thailand's tourism industry and economy is being targeted in this bombing. a short while ago, after the shrine open, the united states -- affair arrived here. he also laid flowers and paid his respects and said a prayer, christine, and then made a statement, saying that he hopes the thai people deal with this with the spirit the country is known for and says the united states stands side-by-side with thailand and they condemn this attack. christine, the statue here has been damaged by the shrapnel in that pipe bomb. there is a scar on it, even today. unimaginable what the carnage was here when people were standing in the way of that bomb. >> saima, thank you for that. keep us posted if there are any developments this morning. 39 past the hour. stocks down. asian shares mostly lower. still have big worries about the health of the chinese economy.

european shares are down. the german parliament votes on greece's latest bailout. u.s. stock futures are slightly lower. a big day for the federal reserve. the minutes from july's meeting will be released today and it's one of the last chances for any insight into the fed's plan on interest rates before the september meeting. many, many market participants expect the fed will raise interest rates next month. remember that hack of ashley madison? the dating site that helps married people cheat. overnight, hackers published stolen data from more than a million users of ashley madison. what was published? customer names, credit card numbers, plus how much they spent on the site. the data is posted on the so-called dark web. it's a part of the internet that can't be searched by google or other common search engines, but the data is out there. names, credit card numbers, and how much they spent on a website

to help them cheat. 41 minutes past the hour. the little pink pill getting the green light from the food and drug administration. flibanserin is the first prescription pill to boost libido in women. the drug comes with the fda's strongest warning, it should not be used by women who drink alcohol. potential side effects including low blood pressure, fainting. there are significant boxed warnings on this drug. the drug could be available by october. the fda had rejected it twice before. breaking news this morning. a sudden gas explosion destroys a motel six in washington state. the damage done, ahead.

♪ look how beautiful it is... honey, we need to talk. we do? i took the trash out. i know - and thank you so much for that. i think we should get a medicare supplement insurance plan. right now? whether you're new to medicare or not, you may know it only covers about 80%

of your part b medical expenses. it's up to you to pay the difference. so think about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. i did a little research. with a medicare supplement plan, you'll be able to stay with your doctor... oh you know i love that guy. mmmmhmmm. these types of plans let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. and, there are no networks. is this a one-size fits all kind of thing? no. there are lots of plan options. it all depends on what we need. and how much we want to spend. call now to request your free [decision guide]. it could help you find an aarp medicare supplement plan that's right for you. what happens when we travel? the plans go with us. anywhere in the country. i like that. you know what else? unitedhealthcare insurance company has years and years of experience. what do you say?

i'm in. join the millions already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance... plans endorsed by aarp. remember, all medicare supplement plans help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could really save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you'll be able to choose your own doctor or hospital as long as they accept medicare patients. and with these plans, there could be low or no copays. you do your push-ups today? prepare to be amazed. don't wait. call today to request your free [decision guide], and find the aarp medicare supplement plan to go the distance with you. go long.

breaking overnight. an explosion at a motel six in washington state leaves one man critically injured. this happened in bremerton, 15 miles west of seattle. workers were already evacuating the building after report of a gas leak when a blast occurred. >> i arrived late. booked into the room. watched a little tv. go to dinner and coming back and saw the black smoke and wonder what that is. we come back and it looks like part of the motel has blown up. shock when we turned up. last week of our holiday sitting in that room. >> it's still unclear if everyone got out of the building before the explosion. ex-subway pitchman jared

fogle expected to plead guilty today to child pornography charges. fbi agents, you'll recall, raided his indiana home last month in connection with a child porn investigation. earlier this year the former director of fogle's foundation was arrested and charged with possessing and producing child pornography. sandra bland's suicide in a jail cell last month prompting a new investigation of texas jail safety. hearings will begin in september. texas has an average of 25 suicide in county jails each year since 2012. police say bland hanged herself with a gash af bag in her cell days after her arrest following a traffic stop. her family has filed a wrongful death suit. wildfires still ripping through seven states out west. this one, the called rough fire. this is burning in fresno, california. you can see the flames and the smoke just pouring from what is

an inferno. so far this fire alone growing to nearly 21,000 acres. crews having a very tough time gaining an upper hand. >> we are hitting it with everything that we can. we have brought in aircraft, we have brought in hand crews, dozer lines. we are doing everything we can to get this fire out as soon as possible. >> firefighters battling wildfires in montana, idaho, washington and oregon. the total acres burned so far this year is more than 7 million acres. for more, let's get to meteorologist pedram javaheri. >> reporter: the fire threat continues across the western united states. the rainfall not there the next couple of days. with we know 95 active large fires and considered 300 acres or larger involving burning grass. the temperatures have been tremendously hot. it will cool off. unfortunately when you have a cooling trend of that significance, you're talking about a front coming by the region. look what happens in the wind department indicated in kind of yellows and red shading in excess of 40 to 50-mile-per-hour

gusts as we head into thursday and eventually friday. firefighters will have their hands full. still a hot day ahead of us. for wednesday before the cooling trend gets there. massive storm system across northern michigan and work your way to texas and some thunderstorms popping up across north texas in the panhandle region i should say as well. severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 5:00 a.m. local time across this region of texas. high temperatures stretching into the 80s around the northeast. tropical storm danny also to tell you about developing out there towards a portion of the leeward islands the next couple of days and 50-mile-per-hour winds could become a category two hurricane as we approach this weekend. >> thanks for that, pedram javaheri. we will watch it. republican presidential candidate mike huckabee in israeli this morning with a warning about the iran nuclear deal. we go there live.

republican presidential candidate mike huckabee is in israeli today and set to hold a news conference in jerusalem this morning. huckabee is expected to focus on the iran deal. he is a vocal critic of that agreement. oren is in jerusalem this morning. what is going on? >> reporter: mike huckabee is

expected to meet with prime minister benjamin netanyahu later on today. both are outspoken on the deal. a number of republican presidential candidates have met with netanyahu and the iran deal has played big here. lindsey graham and others have met with him and now huckabee's turn. he blasted the deal in an interview with cnn's wolf blitzer. >> we violated every single thing that we said was a prerequisite in this, whether it was any time, anywhere inspections, whether it was that they couldn't have any enrichment, whether it was -- there were unlimited access to the inspections. none of that turned out to be true. we kaefcaved in on all of it. we don't even have our hostages back. >> he also weighed in saying he favors the idea of a greater israeli. he even held a fund-raiser in the west bank settlement of shelo. he is making his positions here

on the conflict and on the iran deal. >> oren lieberman in jerusalem, thank you for that. donald trump says he will fix immigration, but now he is contradicting his own big plans? that is next. [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare? that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan,

insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call today to request a free decision guide to help you better understand what medicare is all about and which aarp medicare supplement plan works best for you. with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. there's a range of plans to choose from, too, and they all travel with you anywhere in the country. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it. ♪

call today. remember, medicare supplement insurance helps cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. expenses that could really add up. these kinds of plans could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you'll be able to choose any doctor who accepts medicare patients. and there are virtually no referrals needed. so don't wait. with all the good years ahead, look for the experience and commitment to go the distance with you. call now to request your free decision guide. this easy-to-understand guide will answer some of your questions and help you find the aarp medicare supplement plan that's right for you.

almost the top of the hour. welcome back to "early let's get an "early start" on your money. stocks down around the world. look there. u.s. stock future down too. a big day for the federal reserve. the minutes from july's meeting will be released and last chance for clues into whether the fed will raise rates at its next meeting in september. higher rates are coming, if not september, then soon. a time when the housing market is showing signs of strength. construction of new single family homes soared 12% in july to the best level since december of 2007. remember? that was the beginning of the great recession. all cash sales dropped to 32% of home sales in may, the lowest

since mid 2008. that suggested other people are getting into the market and not just investors. home depot says shoppers are coming in more often and they are spending more. housing market recovery and low interest rates was good for home depot's bottom line. donald trump contradicting his own immigration proposal. he took a shot at facebook founder mark zuckerberg at his immigration plan when he released it on sunday and criticizing zuckerberg's call for more vise as for high skilled foreign workers. but on tuesday trump said this. interestingly enough, democratic candidate bernie sanders has also been critical of increasing visas for high-skilled workers. "early start" continues right now. ♪

hillary clinton defending herself of her private e-mail server. the questions do not end. president obama facing new opposition to the nuclear deal with iran from within his own party. happening now, investigators hunting for the man behind a deadly bombing in bangkok. we are live with how they plan to track him down. good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. it is wednesday, august 19th. 500 a.m. in the east. nice to see you. john berman is off today. hillary clinton is defending hearses, aga herself, again. she took more questions from reporters at a town hall meeting in nevada. she says she never received anything marked classified from her private e-mail account and she does not know if her private server was ever wiped clean. f