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SANDRA SMITH, FBN HOST: Good morning. I'm Sandra Smith. Maria Bartiromo will be back tomorrow. It is Tuesday August 16. Here are your top stories at 7:00 Eastern.
A war of words in the race for the White House. Vice president Joe Biden joining Clinton on the campaign trail attacking her opponent, Donald Trump.
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JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can say without hesitation, my word as a Biden, no major party nominee in the history of the United States of America -- don't cheer, just listen -- has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump. And what absolutely amazes me -- what absolutely amazes is that he doesn't seem to want to learn it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Tragedy in Louisiana, the death toll there has now risen to seven. But as flood waters begin to recede, the National Weather Service is warning the danger there is far from over.
A strict curfew helping calm the tense situation in the city of Milwaukee, the latest as the community there struggles to move forward.
Life on the open road could soon get very lonely. What the advances in technology mean for over two million professional truck drivers jobs.
Plus Snapchat already tells others what you are doing. Now it wants to tell you the newest acquisition for the social media darling.
Move over deep dish, why Domino's is banking on salads to bring the company some green.
Turning to the markets this morning, futures right now slightly lower following record closes for all major averages.
In Europe, markets are lower across the board.
And in Asia overnight stocks are lower led by Japan's Nikkei which fell over 1.6 percent.
And here they are to break it down with me this morning. Fox Business' Dagen McDowell is here; "Wall Street Journal" chief economic correspondent Jon Hilsenrath; and conservative commentator Kirsten Haglund. During the commercial, we continued our track and field conversation. The Olympics have been fun. They've been really fun and it's costing some late nights.
DAGEN MCDOWELL, FBN HOST: -- a really competitive track and field on a scholarship at LSU, I think that you are the best person that we have, certainly in this building, to talk about it.
SMITH: thanks.
MCDOWELL: No, it's a big deal. It's a really big deal. And people forget that about you.
SMITH: Well, that is why I watch the commentators during the track and field and I go, "God, I can do so much."
(CROSSTALK)
MCDOWELL: Like, you aren't busy enough now -- ok.
SMITH: Yes. It will be fun.
KIRSTEN HAGLUND, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: You can go to Rio, yes, and do the commentary.
SMITH: I will have some commentary of my own later.
All right. Coming up this morning. We've got former FEMA director Michael Brown with us; New York Fed president Bill Dudley; and the creator and producer of the documentary "Hillary's America" Dinesh D'Souza will join us.
All right. Donald Trump laid out his foreign policy agenda yesterday in Ohio and detailed what the U.S. approach would be under his leadership.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: In the old days when we won a war, to the victor belonged the spoils. Instead all we got from Iraq and our adventures in the Middle East was death, destruction, and tremendous financial loss.
But it is time to put the mistakes of the past behind us and chart a new course. If I become president, the era of nation-building will be brought to a very swift and decisive end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: All right. Let's bring in Ambassador John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and a Fox News contributor. Ambassador Bolton, what was your take on Donald Trump's speech?
JOHN BOLTON, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I thought it was an excellent statement of what the threat is that we face, namely a political ideology that despises everything that we adhere to in western civilization. And secondly laid out a strategy, not a lot of details, but a strategy to defeat it which is something we haven't seen in the last seven and a half years.
I think it was a clear contrast with Hillary Clinton's position which is essentially that of Barack Obama's and the promise of a third Obama term. So for all those who said we haven't joined the debate on the issues, I think Trump has joined it now on one of the most important issues that the American people are going have to judge the two candidates on this November.
SMITH: Ambassador John Bolton -- Jon Hilsenrath.
JON HILSENRATH, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Ambassador, we just heard in this clip Trump saying that the American view is that to the victor goes the spoils and he would end nation-building. Is that really what the United States stands for after we rebuilt Europe after World War 2, rebuilt Korea after the Korean War, rebuilt Japan? Are we really about the victor going for spoils?
BOLTON: Well, I think those are really two entirely different things. I think it's sort of a commonplace for the United States, at least in the last century, that we don't seek to acquire advantage after a military victory other than to protect our interests. There is a saying in the military, the only land we seek in conflict is land to bury our dead, and I think that is right.
Nation-building is something entirely different and I think a mistake that we embarked on over the past 25 years. I think the difference was first illustrated in Somalia in late 1992 and George H.W. Bush entered on a humanitarian mission to open channels of relief there. And then when the Clinton administration came in, they said unambiguously they were going to do nation-building.
Let's be clear, we didn't rebuild Germany. We provided economic assistance and the Germans rebuilt it themselves. And that is the way we need to approach this. The nation-building that we do is our own, we can provide security. We can provide assistance. But the people themselves have to build their own nation. We are not going to do it for them.
SMITH: Ambassador, a lot of the headlines coming out of his speech yesterday include NATO. He appears to have softened his tone toward NATO. Take a listen to him here.
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TRUMP: We will also work very closely with NATO on this new mission. I had previously said that NATO was obsolete because it failed to deal adequately with terrorism. Since my comments they have changed their policy and now have a new division focused on terror threats.
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SMITH: Was that a big turnaround for him, Ambassador?
BOLTON: Well, he has said before he wants to strengthen NATO and I think that is certainly very important. But let's be clear, NATO needs a lot of changes. Its decision-making mechanism is typically sclerotic.
And we have many nations that as President Obama has said are not living up to the obligations that they undertook on their own specifically spending 2 percent of their gross national product on defense. So I think there is a lot of improvement that could be made but the objective to strengthen NATO is exactly right.
MCDOWELL: Ambassador -- it's Dagen McDowell -- how important was the language that Donald Trump was using? Because the left and Hillary Clinton's campaign, they fight him constantly about his language, not just talking about radical Islamic terrorism, but also going out and saying that we must speak out and act out against the oppression of women, gays and people of different faith in the Muslim world. How significant is that?
BOLTON: Well, I think people need to understand what the nature of the struggle is about. The American people in particular need to hear about it. I think they really understand in their gut what it's about. It's political elites in Washington that don't get it.
Let's just take one example. King Abdullah of Jordan, a descendent of the Hashemite kings of the Hijaz, the rulers of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina has called what is going on with these radicals a civil war within Islam. Maybe Barack Obama can't quite fathom that but if King Abdullah can I don't see why we can't talk about it as well.
I think there are millions of Muslims around the world who understand what radical Islamic terrorism is. They've experienced it and they don't like it anymore than we do.
HAGLUND: Ambassador Bolton, this is Kirsten Haglund here, I am wondering if this speech was enough to move Donald Trump's poll numbers because they have been sagging increasingly since both of the nominating convention. Was this speech enough for him staying on message? Ws it enough to convince people that he is serious, that he can be presidential or does he still have more work to do?
BOLTON: Well, I think there is more work to do. I think Hillary Clinton and her campaign would just as soon not have a debate on substantive issues and I think it has been a mistake not to take her on, on that. I don't think a majority of the American people want Barack Obama's third term. I think they're heartily sick of the wretched economic policies domestically, and the retreat of America around the world. And I think if we were to take on Hillary's promise virtually explicit at times to be Obama's third term it would be a winning strategy.
MCDOWELL: And he still leads her slightly in polls on the issue of terrorism, the economy and terrorism.
BOLTON: As he should because her policy is Obama's and it has failed.
SMITH: All right. And Ambassador, we want to talk about Russia saying joint military efforts with U.S. in Aleppo, Syria is closed. What do you expect from this partnership? Will this help to ease U.S. relations with Russia?
BOLTON: Well, I don't really understand how the Russians can be saying that since they are backing the Assad regime in the battle for Aleppo and we've been backing the rebels. So I don't know quite what they mean. I think this is a very complicated battlefield. I think the Obama administration has been so ardent in its pursuit of the Iran nuclear deal they haven't wanted to do anything really to achieve their stated goal of overthrowing Assad for some years here. So I think clarity on that would be a big step forward.
SMITH: All right. And the extreme vetting that you talked about -- there's a lot of questions and a lot of his critics are saying the details of this extreme vetting are still vague, Ambassador. Did you like what he proposed on that front?
BOLTON: Well, I think, leaving the term aside, what he has proposed is neither unprecedented nor anything to be concerned about. Facing a radical ideology we are entitled to protect our citizens here at home against that. And it is in the Immigration and Naturalization Act right now. It says to become a citizen, you have to be a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the constitution of the United States and well- disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States. that sounds to me like what Trump said yesterday. It is already written into law.
SMITH: All right. Ambassador John Bolton -- always good to have you, sir. Thank you.
BOLTON: Glad to be here.
SMITH: All right. Coming up, we all wish we could slash our commute time. Well now, you can with the help of the brand new Audi technology that talks to the traffic lights. What we mean by that -- straight ahead.
And speaking of new technology, Snapchat can now help you draft a perfect weekend agenda. More on the latest acquisition that makes it all possible.
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SMITH: Tensions remain high in Milwaukee following a fatal police shooting of a black man.
Cheryl Casone has that story and other headlines this morning. Hey -- Cheryl.
CHERYL CASONE, FBN CORRESPONDENT: Hey -- Sandra.
Well, authorities in Milwaukee arresting several people last night but they say there have been no reports of violence. This after two nights of unrest after a police officer shot and killed a 23-year-old armed man on Saturday night. The officer and suspect both African-American.
DAVID CLARKE, MILWAUKEE POLICE CHIEF: We've had the growth of the underclass here in Milwaukee. Milwaukee could be a case study. This didn't happen overnight, several decades -- three, four, five decades of progressive liberal Democrat political rule here that has created the expansion of the welfare class, the expansion of a state of dependency.
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SMITH: Sheriff David Clarke on "HANNITY" last night. There is now a 10:00 p.m. curfew in Milwaukee for everyone under the age of 18.
Well, reports say that Snapchat is in the process of acquiring personalized search app Vurb. Snapchat reportedly going to spend more than $140 million in cash and stock to purchase the San Francisco startup but sources say the deal hasn't been finalized.
Vurb cofounder and chief executive Bobby Lo is going to receive $75 million over several years if he saves Snapchat. Vurb, founded to a lot fanfare back in 2011, basically takes data from several different smart phone apps and then it gives users entertainment, restaurant, even transportation options and then it bundles it all together so you can share with your friends.
And finally this, Audi rolling out new technology that will allow its vehicles to communicate with traffic lights. The German automaker says Select 2017 Q7 and A4 models would be equipped with this new system. It displays a countdown before a red light turns to green, timing the lights. It also shows the countdown of the system saying you're not going to make it through a green light. They say the drivers must opt for the connect prime service that costs about $200 for six months but if you have the need for speed and want to tighten your green lights, it might be worth it.
SMITH: I guess anything to save time.
MCDOWELL: Drag racing. You wait for the (inaudible)
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: -- which you do often, right Dagen.
(CROSSTALK)
MCDOWELL: Not since I got pulled over --
SMITH: For drag racing?
MCDOWELL: Not drag racing but peeling out at a light.
SMITH: All right. Cheryl -- thank you.
Up next could one of the last good paying jobs that does not require a college degree be getting the ax? Why a major advance in technology has truck drivers looking over their shoulders. That's next.
Plus your Friday pizza night about to get maybe a little bit healthier. Why Domino's is venturing into the land of green.
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SMITH: The concept of self-driving cars has been a hit with tech and auto companies but autonomous tractor-trailers may actually hit the highways first. While the advances in this area are fascinating to many, the near two million professional truck drivers in this country are keeping their eyes on the technology for a much different reason, job security.
Joining me now is the president and CEO of the American Trucking Association, Chris Spear. Chris -- good to have you this morning.
CHRIS SPEAR, AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATION: Thanks for having me.
SMITH: So how close are we to trucking companies rolling out fully- functional semi-autonomous rigs?
SPEAR: Well, I think we are a ways out but that technology is being tested in the United States and Europe. I think it really comes down to what the FCC decides as soon as the summer as to whether or not it dedicates spectrum toward connected vehicle technology. If it goes to safety and not the cable industry then we have the ability to connect vehicles, not only vehicle to vehicle technology communications but also vehicle to infrastructure. So that is really a necessary foundation to making autonomous vehicle technology possible.
SMITH: 1.8 million truck drivers in this country -- what percentage really stand to lose their jobs as most of these trucks seem to still need at least one person to operate it?
SPEAR: Well, I don't see this as a potential job loss issue. In fact it could actually improve job growth in our sector. And what I mean by that is we are already facing a chronic driver shortage. Right now, today, we are looking at 50,000 drivers short for our industry. That projection goes to 125,000 by 2024.
So if this technology can serve as an enabler we might see the ability to bring more drivers into the industry making them more productive as well as, you know, enhancing their skill set. And not just drivers but maintenance technicians as well that would have to service this type of technology. So this could actually be an uptick for employment not a job loss.
SMITH: Great point.
HAGLUND: Mr. Spear this is Kirsten Haglund. So in the past, historically people when new technology comes along like this self-driving car, they have been afraid thinking that well that's where all these jobs are going to go and that can cause some anxiety in the economy. But how do you -- how do you see, you know, just like what you're talking about that really technology creates more jobs than actually than it does help, you know, lose. How can people be optimistic not only in your sector but across the broader economy if they see automation increasing?
SPEAR: Well, I don't think we should be afraid of technology. There is a lot of upsides to this including increased safety. You know, that recent accident that involved a Tesla vehicle that hit the trailer of -- a semi tractor-trailer. If those two vehicles have been communicating, that accident may not have happened and that person may not have lost their life. But there's also the ability to improve emissions in terms of reducing the amount of fuel burned, certainly reduce its emissions and the ability to reduce congestion.
These are all good things that come to the motoring public but, you know, we also need to look at cyber security. We need to look at privacy issues. There are a lot of unknowns yet that I believe need to be answered.
So I don't think we should be afraid of technology but we should be cautious and make it certain that we get it right. This is about everyone who drives on the roads. We want to be certain that the technology is an enabler and not something that's going to cause a bigger problem.
HILSENRATH: Chris can you explain how this works? I could see how one of these trucks can go over long stretches on highways without a driver but how do you get around city neighborhoods or plant facilities where a driver has to make small judgments about traffic lights or backing up or slowing down when another car comes nearby. Walk us through how it works. What does the technology do?
SPEAR: Well, I think that in terms of safety, you know, on long road hauls, it's ability to communicate with other vehicles, you know, eliminates the potential for rear end accidents, congestion as a result of accidents. You know, it paces traffic in a more even pace and reduces the amount congestion -- that impacts fuel burn, certainly improves safety.
And I think on the long haul, you know, lane keep assist, blind spot detection, automatic emergency braking -- these are all technologies that are on vehicles today including trucks for some parts. It's the ability to connect them and have the vehicles communicate with one another. It's what's helpful.
But you're always going to have to have the driver in the cab to take over and navigate those situations where they're in congested traffic in cities and trying to maneuver in tight spots. The driver is going to have to be a part of that decision-making. So I think it is a shared responsibility between the driver and the benefits of the technology.
SMITH: How do the truckers feel about this?
SPEAR: Well, I think they're like the industry in general. We're watching it. We want to see the value that it could bring to the industry. It certainly could enhance the skill set of the drivers, make them safer, make them more productive. If you're eliminating congestion, that is a good thing for drivers.
We lose over $49 billion a year sitting in traffic. Imagine the impact that has on the driver let alone the economy and the consumer if those costs get passed on to you and me. So, you know, it starts with the driver and making them more productive during their day and not having them sit in traffic. If technology can help solve that problem that could bring more people into this sector and not push them away.
SMITH: And what is that -- what are we talking cost-wise for these trucks?
SPEAR: Well, that is still an unknown. It really depends on the infrastructure that is put in place by the truck OEMs that build the vehicles and the auto OEMs that are designing the technology. If the FCC awards the spectrum to safety and not to the cable industry, then they have the ability to create a backbone that could be affordable, you know, could be Internet-based for instance.
The amount of technology in our phones is quite considerable, it knows where we are; same in our cars with our GPS. It's connecting the vehicles is really the key in terms of bringing down the cost. We are really cautious, we want to see what that looks like and what the overall costs are going to be in the long-term.
SMITH: All right. Well, thanks for chatting with us about it. Chris Spear, you sound optimistic about the changes coming to the trucking industry. Thank you.
SPEAR: Thank you very much.
SMITH: All right. Up next, dramatic rescues across Louisiana's floodwaters rise to devastating levels. We are tracking the latest details on this straight ahead.
Plus, outrage over JK Rowling's sold-out play -- the admission price tag that left Harry Potter fans fuming, straight ahead.
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SMITH: Good morning, I am Sandra Smith; Maria Bartiromo will be back tomorrow. It is Tuesday, August 16. Your top stories at 7:30 a.m. Eastern: (HEADLINES).
Back to the campaign trail. Donald Trump focusing on immigration in his foreign policy speech yesterday, calling for stricter vetting. Today he heads to Wisconsin for a series of fundraisers. John Roberts is in La Crosse, Wisconsin with the very latest there. Good morning, John.
JOHN ROBERTS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Sandra, good morning to you. You know, the Clinton campaign yesterday, took the expected shots at Donald Trump's speech, the one that he made in Youngstown, Ohio, at the university there, but generally, on a non-political basis at least, the speech was pretty well received.
A lot of what we heard yesterday were proposals that we've heard before but wrapped together for the first time into a comprehensive, sort of, big picture strategy. One big new wrinkle though that Donald Trump unveiled yesterday, a Cold War-style ideological test for any immigrant wishing to come to and stay in the United States; listen.
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DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: In addition to screening out all members of the sympathizers of terrorist groups, we must also screen out any who have hostile attitudes toward our country or its principles or who believe that sharia law should supplant American law. Those who do not believe in our constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred will not be admitted for immigration into our country.
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ROBERTS: Donald Trump also took another step back from his proposed ban on Muslim immigration, the one that created so much controversy months ago when he first articulated it. He more narrowly defined, yesterday, his proposed restrictions on immigration. Listen to what he said.
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TRUMP: As soon as I take office I will ask the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to identify a list of regions where adequate screening cannot take place. We will stop processing visas from those areas until such time as it is deemed safe to resume, based on new circumstances or new procedures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Donald Trump will make a slight shift in message tonight at rally he's got planned for Westbend, Wisconsin; that's about 30 miles north of Milwaukee. He'll really be focusing in on law and order, particularly in light of what's been going on in Milwaukee for the past few days. He does have a lot of work to do here, in Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton is up, according to Real Clear Politics average of polls, about 9.4-percent.
Scott Walker, the Wisconsin governor, will be joining Donald Trump tonight. A short time ago, on FOX and Friends, Sandra, Scott Walker reminded Donald Trump that he needs to make this race between himself and Hillary Clinton. That was a very subtle suggestion to stop taking these tangential forays into criticizing other people and keep your laser-like focus on Hillary Clinton. We'll see if he can get him to do that here in Wisconsin; Sandra?
SMITH: One of many subtle suggestions coming from Trump's GOP colleagues. John Roberts, thank you.
Turning to the tragedy in Louisiana: devastating flooding leading to deaths now of at least seven people and forcing the rescue of more than 20,000. Some of the worst flooding in the cities of Baker, Greensburg, and Baton Rouge. Let's bring in the former FEMA Director, Michael Brown, for the latest on what is happening here.
Michael, what are your thoughts on the search and response that is going on there in the state of Louisiana?
MICHAEL BROWN, FORMER DIRECTOR, FEMA, via satellite: Well, the response has been incredible. I mean, you never compared disasters because when a disaster hits you, it's the worst thing that could happen; but to give it a little perspective, there have been approximately 20,000 rescues so far, that the Louisiana National Guard, the Department of Wildlife and, frankly, just people that have flat bottom boats that are going out, on their own, and rescuing people. That compares to 60,000 plus rescues during Hurricane Katrina. So this is something that the state is able to handle. They're doing a very good job of it, and, quite frankly, I'm impressed with the governor and the steps that he has taken to help these folks.
SMITH: It's good to hear you say that Michael; those flat-bottom boats and those selfless acts that we're seeing from residents there. We've got video of one that has gone viral, of some men that were out in one of their own flat-bottom boats -
BROWN: Right. Right.
SMITH: -- that they found a woman who was sinking in her car with her dog, there he is. He jumps in; and I mean seconds mattered here. And to think that this is one of tens of thousands of rescues, just your average citizen who is out there trying to help these people. Now you look at the area and you wonder what is the cleanup of this area going to look like, after the search and rescue efforts conclude?
BROWN: Well, and I heard during the tease a comment about the worst isn't over; because we always tell people that once the floodwaters recede, the disasters not over because people are then going to discover that they their homes, the drywall has been destroyed; the homes are going to be very dangerous; power lines are going to be down. So this kind of flooding disaster is the kind of disaster that, frankly, the news media tends to go away once the dramatic pictures -
