bolstering his legal team, the u.s. president brings a new lawyer on board as the russia investigation continues threatening to paralyze his administration. 4:00 a.m. on the u.s. east coast. we want to welcome our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm george howell. >> reporter: 10:00 am in paris where president macron and benjamin netanyahu are paying respects to victims of the holocaust. thanks for watching us. you are watching "cnn newsroom." around the world, good day you to. the u.s. president donald trump

is spending the weekend at his resort in the state of new jersey, watching the u.s. women's golf open. in washington his white house, it is in full battle mode focused on how to best deal with the questions that have risen from the 2016 meeting between the president's eldest son and russian lawyer. a veteran attorney, ty cobb, has been brought in to help manage the turmoil that's threatening to derail the president's agenda in congress. all the while, the senate vote on republican health care that has again been delayed, there time because of senator john mccain, he's in arizona recovering from surgery. republicans need every vote that they can get, so they will need to wait until mr. mccain returns to washington. bringing in a heavy hitter like ty cobb as special counsel shows just how the stakes have risen for the trump administration. we get more from boris sanchez. >> reporter: the name of the new attorney added to the white

house's legal team is ty cobb. he's a powerful washington, d.c., defense attorney who's handled some high-profile clients in the past including defending two officials with connections to the clinton white house. he's also defended major corporations, an ex-cia officer. he's a former federal prosecutor. until taking this job at the white house he was a partner at hogan and lovell, an important d.c. firm. he will oversee the white house response to the russia investigation, not only legal you but in the press. -- legally but in the press. he's trying to manage a white house story that's created a cloud, an impediment almost to the trump agenda. friends of ty cobb's including legal analyst michael zelden, say that he is a seclude, smart attorney. listen -- >> they're bringing in ty to try to replicate in some sense what

clinton did during his problems -- which to create a legal warroom in the white house counsel's office to deal with this on a day-to-day basis. and you see abby lowell coming in to represent jared kushner. abby is a well-known criminal lawyer. represented john edwards recently in his problems. you see the shifting in legal representation. jamie stays in as the ethics person, jamie garelek, abby's front and center on the ethics side. people see this is a criminal investigation, not a hoax, not a witch hunt. this is a serious legal matter. they're beginning to take steps they should have taken months ago probably to recognize the ente enjeopardy they're -- the jeopardy they're in. >> reporter: the fcc filing, the

committee to elect paid paid $50,000 to the legal firm that is representing don trump jr. two weeks before the meeting broke about the meeting between trump jr. and the russian lawyer. we're not sure if the legal representation has been paid. the filing cites that it is for legal consulting. cnn has reached out to the trump family and law firm, but we have yet to hear back. back to you. >> boris sanchez, thank you. one of the people at the meeting between donald trump jr. and the russian lawyer was a russian american lobbyist who once served in the soviet military. our jim sciutto has more on that from washington. >> reporter: the june, 2016, meeting between jared kushner, donald trump jr., and the russian lawyer, a source tells

cnn russian american lobbyists said he was also in the meeting. telling reporters for the "washington times" and more, he was described as "someone with ties to russian intelligence. someone alleged to have conducted political disinformation campaigns as part of a pro-russia lobbying effort." >> plainly, this russian attorney, this other third party if they were present, they were there to deliver a message as well as to receive a message. plainly moscow understood only too well that this is conduct that the trump campaign would appreciate. >> reporter: ahmeden said "at no time have i ever worked for the russian government or any of its agencies. i was not an intelligence officer. never." he also told the "post" he was born in russia and became a u.s. citizen in 2009.

his lawyering effort which he did on behalf of the russian lawyer was aimed at repealing an act that sanctions russians accused of human rights abuse. a complaint filed against him with the department of justice claims that effort was on behalf of the kremlin. he's been accused according to court papers filed in new york in 2015 of hacking on behalf of one company into a computer system of a rival company to steal confidential information in a business dispute. the company, imr, withdrew the accusation soon after without providing a reason. in an earlier related case, he denied a similar accusation saying in an affidavit, "i am not a computer specialist, and i am not capable of hacking." in addition to his lobbying work, he was well known in washington for being connected to very powerful people in russia, both in the business world there, and in government. one more note, though he was born in russia, then the soviet union, he emigrated to the u.s. and is now a u.s. citizen.

as a u.s. citizen, he can be suffered to testify -- subpoenaed to testify before investigating committees on the hill. jim sciutto, cnn, washington. >> thank you for report. the former fiber director, james comey, is putting pen to paper now to write a new book. that book will detail his experiences in public service. comey was heading up the investigation into alleged allegation -- into allegation, rather, between the trump campaign and russia. that was until he was abruptly fired in may by the president. we talked to anna cabrera about comey's upcoming memoir. >> reporter: he's going out, pitching the book, he's probably going to have a deal in the next few days. this will get interest from all the big publishing houses. you think about james comey and the story he may be able to tell. this is not just a tell-all, it's about his life's work and

career and big decisions. all it takes is a few pages and chapters about what happened with president trump to get publishing houses very interested. sort of a no-brainer move by him. until now, we hadn't heard anything about a book deal. he'll be shopping this now. >> brian cancels e stelzer speak -- brian stelzer speaking to anna cabrera. the white house has hired a special counsel to help manage the fallout from the russia investigation. the ongoing turmoil is overshadowing republican efforts to repeal and replace obamacare which, again, has hit a snag in the senate. we'll get context from this scott lucas. scott live for us in birmingham, england. he teaches international politics at the university of birmingh birmingham. good to have you with us. let's talk about the white house hiring a high-powered attorney to talk about misconceptions and controversy about the president's son.

white house officials will say, hey, there's nothing to it. at the same time, they are clearly sharpening their strategy. scott, your thoughts? >> they're rearranging the deck chairs. remember, they declared two months ago, about the time of the firing of james comey and appointment of robert mueller, they were getting control of the story. you may remember it was supposed to be the president's personal attorney who was going to handle this and push back on all the negative media stories. what has happened is that kasovitz has been pushed aside, probably because heats been seen as ineffective. jamie gorelek has been pushed aside because they're not happy with what's happening, and they bring in lawyers like ty cobb, like this time we're going to get it right. the problem is they now have an added layer of difficulty. it's not just james comey's investigation or the special counsel's investigation, it's the furor over the confirmed

meeting between donald trump jr., paul manafort, with high russian envoys. the turmoil is difficult to deal with in terms of criminal and political implications. >> when it comes to issues regarding mr. trump's son, the fox news network here in the united states, it has taken a more supporter, friendlier stance toward the trump administration, especially the morning and evening showers with its conservative hosts making the distinction, of course, between the journalists at fox news who cover the news. it has been notable that the commentator charles krauthammer suggested that the e-mail release is evidence of collusion. and then there was this from fox news anchor and journalist shep smith. take a look -- >> why is it lie after lie after lie? if you clean, come on, clean. my grandmother would say, oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

a deception, chris, is mind-boggling. and there are still people out there who believe we're making it up. one day they'll realize we're not and they'll look lynnwood and go, where -- look around and go, where are we? >> we're not making this upment these are facts we report. mr. trump's base, what are they hearing from the journalists at fox news? >> first of all, on the media game, we'd like to start with facts. if you talk about commentary, there's a division amongst trump-supporting outlets. that is, it wasn't just shepherd smith at fox news saying this. he was talking to chris wallace, one of the sharpest journalists, who was agreeing with shepherd smith -- i can't answer this, i can't explain why in keeps happening. there's a division between those who are journalists at some outlets and those who are more like commentators like a tucker charles son or trump family friend sean hannity.

i think there's a minority of americans that will always back trump. the atmosphere is polarized, and they will treat facts as an attack on the president. it becomes more difficult even to mobilize that minority when the evidence becomes so substantial. this is just the opening act, what we're hearing about donald trump jr. and jared kushner. the main event is when special counsel robert mueller reveals evidence. this may be months from now. when that comes out, there's the barrier for those who support trump doour trump, do you want to sweep all that away? >> look at the latest "washington post"/abc news poll. it shows the president's approval rate, the most recent snapshot. the president's approval rating is down. it was 42%. now down to 36%. his disapproval rating now at

58%. keep that in con effeckocon -- . putting this into context, for a republican president, a republican legislature, a -- republicans on the -- in the house and in the senate who have this job to do to get this repeal and replace done, as tom foreman said in a piece, it's right there in front of them. but they haven't done it yet. >> i think this is a critical two, three weeks. as important as the trump/russia thing might be, it's a critical couple of weeks. people wondering what's going to help to me economically, what's going to happen with health care and my job? remember that mitch mcconnell has delayed the recess by two weeks in august. if they cannot get a majority, this effectively shows a paralysis on the basis not only of the white house but also the

gop leadership. then you talk about can they get a budget through in september when you deal with whether emergency funding runs out. if you can't deal with that, you have a government that has no clothes at that point. if you're a trump supporter, in uncertainty about your job, about the economy, when w wlether you can see the doctor, that will shake things up. that will be the achilles heel over the next few months. >> we always appreciate you on "cnn newsroom." thank you. ahead, turkey marks one year since a failed coup attempt. what its president is threatening to do to coup plotters.

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fresh off hosting the u.s. president, french president macron is said to welcome israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to paris. marking 75 years ago during world war ii when french authorities arrested jews under orders from the nazis who

occupied this portion of france. they were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. very few survived including the 4,000-plus children. a short time ago emmanuel macron arrived. he's going to be commemorating the event marking a minute of silence for the victims. mr. netanyahu will be with him shortly. they will attend a ceremony in central paris later commemorating the event. deputy in chief of the magazine, for our audience and as we watch the live pictures, i think we need to remind people this is one of the darkest chapters of french history. and that the french state has had a lot of trouble over the years acknowledging it. >> well, there is one of the money dark events that. -- many dark events that happened during world war ii and the occupation here. we must say about the val dev,

for a long time the french authority and especially french president said it was made under the order of the nazi and french had nothing to do. the full responsibility was not -- did not belong to the french until jacques chirac decided to recognize the full responsibility of the french. the nazis ordered to rounds up people but not that many. they didn't order the children to be rounded up. that was the initiative of the the french police who decided to go beyond. this is a very dark french -- you know, it was a burden for french for at least over 50 years. >> reporter: today the official name is actually for -- the name is actually for victims of the french state. now that is out there. it's been out there and stated that way for a little under 30 years now. let's talk politics.

emmanuel macron and benjamin netanyahu meeting for the first time. emmanuel macron met donald trump a few days ago. it seems that he's trying to speak to every world leader and establish france's diplomacy on the world stage. >> that's right. here we have a newcomer versus an old crocodile. which means -- putin -- macron met putin in versailles castle, now he's met donald trump. macron is trying to boost french -- a new world power. he wants to put french back in the circle of influential powers. he wants to boost his credibility. he's a strong leader. and i think he's shown some skills in taming the beast, including putin and trump.

will that work, that remains to be seen. netanyo is a tough case. you know, both his predecessors, hollande and sarkozy, he had trouble with both of them. he's had issues, a lot of inflexibility on many, many issues. >> reporter: on the middle east peace process, do we know what mr. macron wants? >> well, we've seen a major shift in the french political and democratic position on syria. macron said no more -- bashar al assad must go. a new policy -- >> reporter: france totally reversed its diplomatic stance. >> completely. they said they wanted to work closely with the russians. we know that the russians have an influence and are in syria. we also know that the iranians are in syria. and i think that's one of the main points natanya will try to see, if his counterpart has changed on, is the issue of the

iranian influence in the area. the iranian is very powerful in -- iran is very powerful in syria now. about a month ago, they put -- first time they tested ballistic missile against isis in syria. for israelets, that's a -- israelets, that's a threat directly. and the stance on the middle east means work more with iran. that's what natanya will try to see with macron and in wrong ron and the french have changed on that issue. >> what about the israeli/palestinian conflict? france has long held the position of being a key player on this particular issue. >> that's right. >> earlier this year, the previous french president francois hollande gathered an international conference, representatives from over 70 countries. and by the way, benjamin netanyahu did not like that. he didn't attend. he saw it as meddling and interference. doen wean what he -- do we know

what this french president thinks? >> we don't know yet. that's another issue natanya will try to see where macron stands. the particular problem with the predecessor of macron is he tried to internationalize the issue, bringing more people in the conversation. that's what the israelis didn't like. now there has to be a move. we know that macron would probably make the case for a two-state solution. where does he stand against the further colonies? he stands on, you know -- where does he stand on the palestinian issue? we have to remind the viewer that mahmoud abbas was welcomed not long ago by macron. there's a number of things that needs to be seen. it's the first round maybe of

talks. we'll see if netanyahu is to evolve. he hasn't shown much will to change in the past years or so. >> no. >> reporter: when he met with the two past french presidents he hasn't changed on the issue. thank you very much for joining us. there will be a joint press conference between the french president and the israeli prime minister in the coming hours. we should find out more on where both stand on the issues. we'll bring you that on cnn as is happens. now, massive crowds have turned out across turkey to mark one yeared since an attempted coup -- one year since an attempted coup against the p. he revealed this in the capitol for those attempting the coup attempt. since then he's led a mass crackdown. he said the u.s.-based cleric was behind the attempt. in istanbul, he promised no mercy for those he says betrayed the country.

>> translator: we know who is behind these terrorists. however, there's the fact that if you do not combat and fight against these pieces, we can not fight and overcome those who are supporting them, therefore we will behead these traitors. >> reporter: arwa damon filed a report about how people are remembering the failed coup and crackdown that followed. >> reporter: the bridge itself is packed. you can barely move up there. people keep arriving. some carrying the photographs of those who died trying to stop the coup from taking place. around 250 people lost their lives standing up to the coup slaughters. the turkish president's message

is that no one will divide the country. trying to rally the population around him. at the same time, this does remain a very polarized nation because there is growing concern about the direction is going and those who oppose president erdogan. they're concerned about the post-coup activities where tens of thousands were said to be involved in the movement that turkey says was behind the coup attempt. additionally, around 150,000 government employees have lost their jobs. people that worked at ministries, within the judiciary. journalists have also been jailed. a lot of people despite the show of force that we're seeing on the streets on this day do remany very concerned about what the future of their country is.

at this stage, no one knows exactly what is going to be happening next or what direction turkey is going to take. cnn, istanbul. u.s. president donald trump is trying to get more support for health care reform. his key promise on obamacare has been delayed again. the future isn't silver suits and houses on mars,

it's right now. think about it. we can push buttons and make cars appear out of thin air. find love anywhere. he's cute. and buy things from, well, everywhere. how? because our phones have evolved. so isn't it time our networks did too? introducing america's largest, most reliable 4g lte combined with the most wifi hotspots. it's a new kind of network. xfinity mobile. 4:31 on the u.s. west coast. welcome back to our viewers in the united states and around the world. you're watching "cnn newsroom." good to have with us. i'm george howell with the headlines we're following this hour. veteran washington attorney ty

cobb is joining the white house as special counsel. he'll oversee the legal and media responses to the russia investigations overshadowing the trump administration. cobb is a former federal prosecutor. the former fbi director, james comey, is writing a new book that will detail his experiences in public service. he was heading up the investigation into alleged ties between the trump campaign and russia, that is until he was abruptly fired by the president in may. in senegal, at least eat people are dead after a -- at least eight people are dead after a football match that ended in violence. at least 40 dead. fights broke out between fans following a league cup final. as people tried to leave, a wall collapsed, leading to a stampede. france is marking the 75th anniversary of the nazi-directed mass roundup of thousands of jews by the french police during world war ii. a short time ago, the french president macron attended a

minute of silence for the victims at a memorial. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is anticipated to arrive in paris shortly. a key promise from the u.s. republicans to repeal and replace obamacare is once again delayed. a procedural vote on the revised senate bill will be postponed now until after republican senator john mccain recovers from surgery to remove a blood clot. republicans need mr. mr. speaker cane's vote to even begin -- mr. mccain's vote to even begin discussion on legislation. the white house trying to convince those skeptical of the republican plan. president trump is hoping to land a major legislative achievement before the senate goes to recess in a month. ryan nobles with more from washington, d.c. >> reporter: senate leadership and the white house are currently engaged in a high-stakes campaign, rallying to get the 50 votes they need to get this health care reform bill passed. the white house and senate leaders are making an aggressive push to convince republican

members to vote yes on their latest version of health care reform. >> we are very, very close to ending in health care nightmare. we are so close. >> reporter: as it stands, susan collins of maine and rand paul of kentucky remain opposed to the plan. >> it does not make sense to do a major rewrite of a vital entitlement program without having any rrgs or consideration of -- hearings or consideration of the implications. >> reporter: senate majority leader mitch mcconnell cannot lose any more votes if he hopes to get the bill through. the president who has let mcconnell take the lead to the day-to-day negotiations is stepping up to get the bill passed. he tweeted four times friday writing, "republican senators are working hard to get their failed obamacare replacement approved. i will be at my desk, pen in

hand." vice president mike pence said -- >> president trump is going to lead this congress to rescue the american people from the collapsing policies of obamacare. >> reporter: trump is working behind the scenes, spending part of his time in paris, making phone calls to gop senators including senator rand paul, whose position has not changed. many rank-and-file republicans who remain undecided are waiting to hear from stakeholders back home before making up their minds. >> i hope they wait and speak with state leaders as i will over the weekend. i hope they wait and see the cbo score that doesn't come out until next week. >> reporter: republicans from states with governors who expanded medicaid are under pressure because this bill rolls back federal funding for expansion. rob portman of ohio and dean heller of nevada are both dealing with go dealing with gop governors unhappy with the plan. brian sandoval met one on one with pence but still has concerns. even though the prospects for

the bill look dim, most senators are optimistic even though they remain undecided. much will hinge on the score from the congressional budget office, due out on monday. ryan nobles, cnn, on capitol hill. >> thank you for the report. a unique opportunity awaits many people tonight across parts of north america and europe. the northern lights may dazzle you. as far south as glasgow, oslo, or chicago, nominee. our meteorologist, derek van dam, will tell you more. it's always something i've wanted to see. never had a chance to see. >> there's even an entire tourism sector that focuses this, as well. you'll see it as far south as chicago, as you said, and oslo. and places like seattle and vancouver. >> wow. >> seattle, as well. we want to stay away from the big city lights to help improve your chances of seeing that. there's a geomagnetic storm watch. a solar flare has come off the

sun recently that is charging electrons in the atmosphere. that is going to create a beautiful i did place, ultimately call ed photons to light up the sky. we're expecting the greatest chances of seeing the northern lights today across north america from, again, vancouver to minneapolis, chicago and syracuse, all the way to buffalo and bangor, maine, as we head into europe. oslo, st. petersburg, into glasgow. unfortunately, not for you in london, you're just a little too far south to see the lights. what are the most common colors in the sky? typically we see shades of green and yellow. if you're lucky, you might see some of the multihued purples, blues, even the violets. if you're extremely fortunate, well, you'll get that dancing red glare on the horizon. that is the rarest light form that you would see. now in terms of your best viewing possibilities, look towards the upper plains states and into the pacific northwest today in north america for your best viewing chances. we'll take you to europe again. we're talking about the weather

throughout the united kingdom. we're focusing the radar on the north hampton region and, of course, london. two major sporting events taking place. we've got the wimbledon men's kmienls in a few -- finals coming up in a few hours. and the forecast looks to stay dry at wimbledon. and we have the british grand prix. this is a little bit of a different story. maybe a few showers to impact the race circuit there. a cloudy forecast expected. dry weather for the majority of the race. but it's possible a few showers could create slick spots on the course. >> thank you very much. >> all right. still ahead on "cnn newsroom," can roger federer once again make history as he prepares for the 11th wimbledon final? plus, the homestretch. britain's lewis hamilton will be sitting in the pole position at silverstone for the british grand prix, but can he go all the way?

welcome back. lots of sports today in europe. in formula one, lewis hamilton hoping to thrill the home crowd at sunday's british grand prix. amanda davis is there with us for more on that. look, amanda, you're going to tell me about the fans in a second. first, just the resilience of this man, lewis hamilton. he had a tough week, and now he's bounced back and claimed pole. >> reporter: he has. welcome here to the home of the british grand prix. this is the main entrance, a lot of the tv cameras and the snappers are focused on there as the drivers have now arrived. we saw fernando alonzo, the mcclaren driver, arriving late, pretty much running through the turnstiles. now the celebrities and those invited by the teams, really one of the highlights of the british if not international sporting calendar have started to arrive, michael johnson, the four-time

olympic gold medal-winning sprinter, has just arised. the kaiser chiefs expected to be here later on. the focus has bon what has been a spectacular battle so far on the track. as you mentioned, three-time champion lewis hamilton has been under fire the last couple of weeks. he was criticized for being the only driver in this paddock not to turn up to a big event in the center of london wednesday. he's had poor performances on the track in the recent weeks in austria and azerbaijan. he responded in the way that he knows best, and that is by doing his stuff on the track. he put in a fantastic lap in saturday's qualifying session. tough conditions. you might be able to see very, very gray skies here. it's been windy, wet. done a bit of everything in true british weather form. it was a lap that lewis himself

described as spectacular. his fifth pole. in about four hours he needs to convert the pole into the top stead of the podium. he needs to start closing the gap in the standings. sebastian battle based here in the red ferrari. that is sometimes easier set than done. i spoke yesterday to the qualifying champion jensen button. he in all of his time, 16 years in formula one, could not produce the victory at silverstone in front of his home fans. he said he will be hoping that lewis hamilton will be able to do that later today. does it mean as a british driver a part of you would want him to win? >> yeah, it's the first time i've watched him qualify live

forever. it was nice to be there when he got his pole, to see the crowd. and it's not just yay, he got pole, it is a lot of emotion in people's eyes. it's really good to see. it's nice to see that love for the sport as a whole. but yeah, having a british pole is great. you need the guy to stand behind it. whether you love or hate him, you need him to make this championship special. so it's good to see that he's up there, as well. >> reporter: that guy who is up there chasing lewis hamilton, sebastian battle, has run into the motor home behind with us a smile on his face. he is a four-time world champion. he's shown that the gloves are very much coming off in this title fight. there's no love lost. it is a real battle. and he will not be giving up that lead in the championship standings without a fight. it promises to be a fan tatasti couple of hours here at

silverstone. >> good to speak to you. thank you very much. we'll get updates throughout the day. let's go to wimbledon where newly crowned champion garbin muguruza says it was amazing to take on venus williams. six weeks ago she was in tears after losing at the french open. means that williams has, of course, been denied her sixth wimbledon title. she had been trying to become the old of the winner of a championship in the open era. to the men's final, roger federer is aiming for a record eight trophies. cnn tennis analyst robby uber joining us from southwest london. you're going to educate me. it wasn't that long ago that federer appeared to be declining, and now, now this. another wimbledon final. what's behind this federer renaissance? >> reporter: that's the good question. there was a time when people

thought there would be another win at the australian open. he's considered one of the best if not the best of awful time in the world of tennis. income two, i think -- number two, i think he's been smart in handling his body. he's going to be 36 next month. he took a very hard decision last year after wimbledon to take six months off to get his body good, get his body fit after struggling with a knee injury last season. then he came back, he took another break this year. he missed the french open so he could get ready for wimbledon. i think all the decision that's he's made throughout his career where he's always taken breaks throughout seasons has really helped him. when you combine that with the greatness he exhibits on the court. >> reporter: he's played some of his best tennis where you are. what's your prediction for the match? >> reporter: i think federer has

the edge. he's playing marin cilic. fredder are has experience, he does edge it. he's playing so well on the grass. his average time on court this year is only an hour and a half. i must say, last year when they met in the quarterfinals, cilic beat him. and he beat him in new york in 2014. outside the big four of federer, murray, djokovic, nadal, cilic is the most dangerous guy on the grass. i think federer has the edge. i will say federer in, i'll say four sets. >> thank you very much for the heads up. we appreciate it. we'll leave it here for now. stay with us. we were in a german dance group. i wore lederhosen. so i just started poking around on ancestry. then, i decided to have my dna tested through ancestry dna. it turns out i'm scottish. so, i traded in my lederhosen for a kilt.

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megan's smile is getting a lot because she uses act® mouthwash. act® strengthens enamel, protects teeth from harmful acids, and helps prevent cavities. go beyond brushing with act®. welcome back. in a few hours' time a television phenomenon will return to the screens. over the next weeks, fans will clear their schedules to catch "game of thrones" as it airs. in the era of binge viewing, that sort of loyaltiy is remarkable. more on why fans treat "game of thrones" like a game.

>> reporter: last summer millions tuned in to watch a hometown hero reclaim victory in a winner-take-all battle leading a group that for years knew nothing but brutal losses. wait, wait, wait, wait, wait -- i'm not talking about lebron james. i'm talk could about the king of the north, not the king of the nba east, john snow. >> the king in the north! >> reporter: it's understandable that you would get the two mixed up because "game of thrones" is exactly that -- a game. in this game -- >> you win, or you die. >> reporter: in professional sports there's no trial by combat. [ screams ] but you get the idea. "game of thrones" unfolds just like live sports, pitting your favorite team against your enemies. you root for the starks or lannisters as you would root for the cavs or warriors. you wear the team colors. >> with fire and blood -- >> the winter is coming -- >> tension ramps up as we get closer to the big battle at the end of the season that acts like the show's championship bout.

yes definitely the -- -- >> there's definitely pieces that you remember like the battle of blackwaters. those are almost like championship games. it feels like you're watching a final four game as the season winds on, a stanley cup match or super bowl. >> that's chris ryan from "the ringer" along with his colleague, andy greenwald. they are the biggest "game of thrones" experts this side of george r. mariner. >> it's true. >> reporter: it's like a post-game show. think "inside the nba" but with less shaq and more dragons. >> where are my dragons? >> "game of thrones" is the last water cooler show. it's the last show that seems to have a central discussion where everybody wants to participate as soon as possible after the end of the episode. "talk the thrones" is there as the clubhouse. "talk the thrones" isn't the only post-show show.

"walking dead" has its own talk show, as well. >> the service we provide is that we help the casual fan and more serious fan alike. >> reporter: like live sports, "game of thrones" dominates online chatter which means spoilers are coming if you don't tune in when the game is happening. >> otherwise, you don't exist as a modern person in the world because someone on twitter will ruin it and tell you exactly who died. >> over and over again, you've found that if you're watching the show late, you're going to miss out on a lot. >> reporter: i can't immediately go on line and mention that john snowe gets murdered -- ♪ i get it. you want to know nothing. nothing. >> nothing. >> reporter: if you're not a subscriber to hbo, there are ways to watch like, well, sports bars. >> i feel certain shows lend themselves to see group watching environments and wanting to get to talk about the show. there's a lot of emotions in the show. it's not the type of show that you want to watch by yourself. >> reporter: and professor toms isn't the only bar that does this. other bars even post customer

reaction that's go viral on line. the clips do look awfully familiar. >> they're emotional. they're very passionate, enthusiastic at times. get very depressed at times. it's a similar level of passion that goes up and down throughout an episode of "game of thrones" versus major sporting events. >> reporter: you can watch any time. but the enthusiasm like the lebron buzzer beat er. >> thank you for watching "cnn newsroom." >> i'm george howell in atlanta. the news continues here on cnn right after the break. hi. when you clock out, i'll clock in... sensing and automatically adjusting to your every move.

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a day after returning from france the u.s. president facing growing controversy over russia. and bringing in a new lawyer as his son's account of a meeting during the campaign keeps changes. it is 5:00 a.m. on the u.s. east coast. wasn't to welcome our viewers here in the united states and france and around the world. i'm george howell at cnn world headquarters in atlanta. at 11:00 a.m. in paris where the french president is welcoming benjamin netanyahu. cnn newsroom starts right now.