♪ >> we have found homes for almost 3,000 dogs. >> our community is introduced to be the community drug house. >> i want my grandchildren to have it better than what i have it today. >> it is always wanting to serve other people. >> human suffering has no borders. people are people, and love is love. >> join anderson cooper and kelly ripa live, as they present the 2022 hero of the year. >> join me in honoring cnn hero of the year -- >> cnn heroes, an all star tribute. sunday at 8:00. >> hope you join us for that. the news continues. i want to hand it over to laura coates and "cnn tonight." >> hey anderson, looking forward to "heroes" on sunday. i'm going to cry most of it, but

i'll still watch it and be happy that you're there. thank you. have a good weekend. >> you too. good evening, everyone. i'm laura coates. this is "cnn tonight." sources tell cnn a federal judge is denying the doj request to hold former president trump in contempt for failing to turn over classified documents. we've got more on what all of this means in just a moment. and tonight, our polarized politics are on full display. there's kevin mccarthy, who was threatening a floor fight in his battle to be speaker. his party's conservative hardliners are vowing to block him. and there's kyrsten sinema, quitting the democratic party to now become an independent. what does this say about the new washington that's coming in january, and how do we all move forward? plus brittney griner is back on american soil tonight. we're learning more about what she went through, her nearly 300-day ordeal in russia. i'll talk to one of brittney griner's friends, who also

played in russia, and she says, she'll never go back. here with me now is karen fitty. also former congressman joe walsh, and cnn political analyst alex burns. i'm taking off my bracelet, not because i'm getting ready to do anything crazy. it hits the table, alex. don't get afraid. we're getting into what's going on with donald trump. i have to ask you, this federal judge declining to hold him in contempt for what's been quite obvious to everyone in the sense that, look, there were documents that belong to the united states, you didn't hand them over, they were at mar-a-lago. there was a protracted fight about that in the court. it's resolved in some limited respect, but not fully. what does this mean to you? >> i think protracted is the operative word there, right? this is a check point, as you know better than anybody else in the panel. this is a legal check point that is going to be one of many, many, many to come. i don't think it's even clear, as we're having this

conversation right now, that this particular issue is fully resolved, as much as the judge has indicated that the justice department, the trump folks ought to get together to see if they can work this out on their own. i don't think other judges were closed to taking some kind of action at some future point. i will say as a political reporter, the part of this that really speaks to me, every time we do hit one of these check points, i think it's just another reminder that this is going to be donald trump's lived experience for the foreseeable future, while he is trying to become president of the united states again. those are two hats that are pretty difficult to wear at the same time. >> and the voters, by the way, are going to have to have this baggage carrying. and you're wondering if there are those hopeful as well looking at that baggage and going, yes, weigh it down even more. there's also what's happening in congress more broadly. we're talking about the balance of power in the senate. and after tuesday, democrats thought, we've got 51-49.

and the plot twist, of course, was what happened with kyrsten sinema. i want to bring this to your attention because there is two big political stories, obviously, happening. the registration stats in arizona, everyone, from the last election, we've got nearly 35% gop. nearly 31% democrat. and then nearly 34% other. libertarian, nearly 1%. so, the question really is looking at those numbers, it's not as if it is a decisively red or blue state, which we know. what does this say? a smart move for senator sinema? >> i think the only move if she wants to continue to run in that state. i'll give her credit because those numbers in arizona reflect the nation as well. i mean, more people in america identify as independent than republican or democrat. i think that's a healthy thing. i think both parties need some competition. but this was a -- this was a personal move for her own personal interest. she had no other move.

>> i think that's exactly right. she was putting out feelers earlier this year to try to gauge support among democrats and previous supporters. and she was very clear very quickly, it's gone. she does not have the institutional support in the state of the democratic party with 99.9% likely that she was going to be primaried. so, the only path was to figure out, okay, can i carve together a different electorate, an electorate that is some portion of democrats, some portion of republicans, and perhaps people who are unidentified or self-identified independent. so, i agree, it's really the only option. and i think it remains to be seen whether or not, given that she's up in two years, it's going to be an effective strategy to try to run. because as we've seen on the democratic side and the republican side, there are, you know, the republican party, the democratic party, very strong interests. the other thing to remember, when sinema ran the last time, she had the support of emily's list and a lot of organizations, organizational support that

helped lift her up. but she's just not going to have this time. so, where does that come from in a run in two years? >> you know, it's funny, in my radio show today i was talking about there are so many callers who had a level of skepticism and cynicism. i mean a very high level about the idea of thinking, you know, this is a political ploy. they fall in three categories. it's a political ploy. you won't get the calls anymore. you imagine there's more of a majority, so you're going to be relevant. others thought, alex, no, this is actually maybe a really bad thing for democrats because now you invite a democrat to run against her later on. then you have a republican. it might be kari lake. the third one was, no, no, everyone's got it wrong. this is what americans feel like. this is where we're going more politically in terms of not wanting to buy into a pure two-party system. is that what the reporting indicates in the climate of the american electorate right now, thinking, let's all be more

independent about not the sworn allegiances? >> i just want to start by saying, i think he's got it totally right. and if kyrsten sinema's change in party affiliation coincides with a ground swell of popular support among the american people of some other -- i think it's purely coincidental that her personal interests have intersected with larger social currents here. if that makes me a cynic, put it on the chier chiron. >> in fact let's put it on the chiron. >> i think it is true. it's clearly true that the person people are dissatisfied with the two-party system. if we had a more fluid political structure, the way they have in a whole lot of other countries and developed democracies around the world where you have six, seven, eight parties, i think americans would avail themselves of all of them. but we don't. and those registration numbers are misleading. the third of arizona that identifies as independent, those people don't have very much in common with each other, right? many of those people are actually pretty conservative or actually pretty liberal and

they're cranky and don't like belonging to a party. or they're extreme right or extreme left. it's not a cohesive group she can just walk out there and plant her flag for 2024. >> to your point, this issue's been overlooked. my former political party is so off the rails and so anti-democracy. but a lot of americans kind of disenchanted with both and looking for something different. it's been overlooked. and i think it's something to watch. >> you almost wonder if the terms "independent" and "moderate" are becoming in people's minds for synonymous. it seems the overall undercurrent is the same, the idea of maybe thinking about things in a balanced way. it's always in there. i wanted to bring in kevin mccarthy into the conversation. he was on fox news today. although he is vying to be the next speaker of the house, it is not a foregone conclusion, as we well know. he spoke about the idea of being

leader for four years for the two election cycles they've gained seats. what do you make of his case? here he is. >> i've been leader for four years. for those two election cycle, we've only gained seats. our goal this year was to stop the biden agenda, win the majority, and fire nancy pelosi. we achieved all those. when you look at the republicans in the senate, the governors, and others, they all lost during these cycles. we are the only branch that can stop what has been going on for so long. >> and of course he wants to make the case that he is the only speaker that could accomplish this as well. i see you winking, and you are really on the band wagon right now of kevin mccarthy. can he get those votes? >> apparently not. i mean, it looks like -- excuse me -- that he knows the support is just not really there, and therefore he is, you know, going to fox to try to plead his case, right, which is where you go if you're a republican trying to make the case to get the votes. look, i think it's also an indication, though, of how fractured the republican party

is. you know, we saw some of these fractures throughout the election cycle. they were able to kind of cobble it together, particularly in the house races to kind of cover it up. but now it's a bit of a free for all. tell me if i'm wrong. >> i think mccarthy will ultimately get it. but, laura, every inch of his body has been sold. and marjorie taylor greene and a number of other crazy folks in that caucus are going to own him for two years. that's what we're looking at. >> i wonder what that means for democrats in the big picture, snow knowing -- >> when you listen to the case he's making for himself, there's nothing in there about being an effective legislator or ideological leader for the party. i think this has been part of his core problem all along is he's essentially a political recruiter and electoral tactician. he is not a guy known for his legislative achievement or his depth on policy or his deep relationships and deeply trustworthy character or

anything like that, right? when you saw nancy pelosi struggling to get the 218 after the 2018 election -- the 218 votes she needed to become speaker -- everybody in that democratic caucus either loved her or respected her or feared her, some combination of those. even the people who really, really didn't want her to be speaker again, they respected her or they were terrified of her. and i don't think that's a statement you can make about republicans and kevin mccarthy. >> the things you describe i think you call in washington, d.c., details. not a really big deal. i want to bring in mike, host of the "mike broomhead show" on ktar. how are you this friday evening? you are in phoenix. we're hoping your weather is better than here in d.c. although a lot of questions happening right now. and i just want to get your immediate reaction on the fact that senator sinema is now a -- well, she's an independent. how is that playing back home? >> well, you know, one of the

things that's kind of being left out of the conversation, if you remember going back to the late senator john mccain here in arizona, he was censured by his party as well. and he continued to win elections by big numbers. it's a lot to do with party leadership and how they believe and party voters. there's a disconnect between party sometimes. i think what she is reading is the room. she is seeing that in maricopa county, where i live, our largest county, senator sinema knows the number one demographic is independent voters. and i think she's looking at that and saying that's the direction arizona and maybe the rest of the country is heading is that they're identifying as independent. and she wants to identify with the majority of voters. >> reading the independent tea leaves, as they say, and thinking about it, i wonder, she has been brushing aside criticism she has faced for her decision. i wonder if it's happening back home. she says she's not worried about

it. if she runs for re-election, the question really is, should she be? >> well, yeah, i think so. you know, she's got congressman ruben gallego who everybody thinks is going to be the big challenger from the democratic side. it could be greg stanton, former phoenix mayor that's a democrat. and which republican would go in there and hope those two go in and divide senator sinema and whatever the challenger may be. sure there's a lot of risk here. but at the same time i think she's taking a calculated risk in saying, i believe i can win over the majority of arizona voters without catering to a political party. >> when you think about a calculated risk, do you think it reads as politically cunning in a way that's disingenuous to the people of arizona? i mean, obviously there's strategies in all aspects in washington, d.c. and the allegiances and the coalition that all happens. i'm not going to pretend she's the only person who thinks strategically. how is it reading to your listeners and people in arizona, not everyone, but how is it

reading to them? >> well, i think remains to be seen. you know, myself, as a registered republican, i look at how she stood up and said, we're not going to end the filibuster. for someone like me i said, wow, she ran on a campaign that said i'm independent just like arizona. many of us thought that was a campaign slogan more than reality. but she's shown herself to stand up at times and say she will stand up at times against my party to the point where she was censured by the democratic party. i think the results down the road remain to be seen. but this step may look at not strategic but more like she's trying to align herself with voters. >> some people say if you get critics on both sides, you're called effective. you're doing your job. i wonder if that's the ploy she's trying to take. kari lake did call this great news. we'll see where that stands there. i'm curious about your reaction to mccarthy's bid for speaker.

tell me about your listeners. they're very active when they call into your show, mike. do they want him to get the job or someone else? >> it's different in arizona because remember one of the main people that are speaking up against mccarthy is andy biggs, a very popular congressman in arizona. so, the arizona listeners and arizona voters on the republican side of the aisle are looking at a congressman they know very well in andy biggs and are looking at that challenge a bit differently. >> we'll see what happens. are they rooting for andy biggs or just yet another moment of contention? no one in the world has election exhaustion yet. i'm sure they're all on board. >> yeah. we jump from 2022 to 2024 right away. and i think it's that way. i think people in arizona that know andy biggs know what they're getting with him. they may not know mccarthy as well. so, i think maybe this pool in arizona may not be the gauge because, you know, we always go with the people that we know more so. and maybe we're hoping for a

hometown guy like andy biggs. >> well, we'll see. mike, nice talking to you. >> thank you. we've also got news tonight on brittney griner. she's spending her first night now on american soil in nearly 300 days. think about that. we're learning also more about what exactly she went through in a russian penal colony. next, i'll talk to one of brittney's friends who also played in russia and says she won't be going back. is going t”. but seriously we need a reliable way to help keep everyone connected from wherever we go. well at at&t we'll help you find the right wireless plan for you. so, you can stay connected to all your drivers and stores on america's most reliable 5g network. that sounds just paw-fect. terrier-iffic i labra-dore you round of a-paws at&t 5g is fast, reliable and secure for your business. ♪ ...i'm over 45. ♪ ♪ i realize i'm no spring chicken. ♪ ♪ i know what's right for me. ♪ ♪ i've got a plan to which i'm sticking. ♪

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to destroy 5x more plaque above the gumline than floss. for a cleaner, healthier mouth. listerine. feel the whoa! brittney griner making it back safely onto u.s. soil early this morning. the wnba star landing in houston, texas, after being detained in russia for nearly 300 days. u.s. officials met with her upon her return, describing her as being in good spirits and incredibly gracious. she went for routine examination at brook army medical center. now she begins to settle in back here at home.

we're learning more about just what her detention was like in russia, including griner's decision, we're learning, to cut her hair, because she got a chill when she washed it in the russian winter. joining me now, two-time olympic gold medalist and friend of brittney griner. i want to know what your reaction has been to your friend, your teammate returning home. >> yeah, this has been a celebration. i mean, she's been over there for so long. the one thing i know about brittney, yeah, she's 6'8", but she has a bubbly personality. she's not a criminal. back to social injustice, so many platforms. she's an amazing person. i know i played in russia for four years, and that was one of the hardest places i had to play. gloomy, the sun is not out much, it's cold, people are introverted. it's hard to make friends in russia. it's just the way it is.

so, can you imagine her conditions in a jail cell? >> no, i can't imagine. i'm eagerly trying to hear more about it but yet want to give her the space because there's the attention and interest by so many people to understand and to deplete. and i don't want that to happen to her. i'm wondering, you two are very close, you've mentioned your own self trying to give her the space. how do you plan to get in touch with her? what do you plan to tell her what you do finally see her again? >> right now, like you said, she needs her space. she needs her time to collect her thoughts, to enjoy the relief of being back home, to be with her family. and when i do see her, i will just give her a big hug, and say, we're all supporting you. come back and play basketball and let everyone see you dunk the basketball again. and when she's ready, i'm going to tell her, she's got a vacation on me. >> do you think she actually will play in the upcoming season? i'm wondering. i can't imagine that she's made

any decision nor should she have to at any point in time. everyone's eager to see her play, her athleticism unbelievable. what do you think she might do? >> we missed her last year. it wasn't the same in the wnba without her. we don't start until may, so that gives her a couple months to gather and get back in shape and get back in the groove, smell the american air again. i think she'll play, if i had to give my opinion on it. you know, i think she wants to get back out there and just feel loved again by the fans. >> she certainly has been loved and there's a great deal of celebration happening all around the world for her release. i want to hone in on what you said, because you and brittney did play on different teams in russia. you talked about it as the hardest place to be. you thought the people were not friendly, you mentioned the introversion you just mentioned. i'm wondering, in your experience, as a player there, as a black woman, did you have concerns about how she would be treated in this context? >> well, let me rephrase.

i do have friends -- my teammates were my friends. russian people are not mean people. it was just hard to make friends outside of the game because people are introverted. but they weren't bad people. i never felt unsafe in russia. it was a safe place. do i think that this had a lot of political things going on with it? absolutely. the girls were leaving russia early because we got the calls, hey, something is brewing, get back home. so, that's why everybody was headed out. she wasn't the only one playing over there. so, definitely she's 6'8". you know how that goes. so, i even asked my friends who are russian that live over there, hey, what do you guys think? and they said, hey, this is political. they think it's political. so, if, you know, the people that live there think that, you know, that goes to show you what it is. >> well, i am 5'3" so i do not know what it would be like to be 6'8". but i can imagine those moments.

let me ask you, do you think that what you saw in terms of what you know about it, do you intend to play there again, or do you know of players having reservations at all about playing basketball in russia? >> you know what? ill say for myself, i wouldn't go back and play again just from everything that has happened. now, are players still playing overseas. yeah, they're going to istanbul, turkey, spain, italy. no problem, right? now, if a russian team offers someone $2 million, is that female basketball player going to turn it down? i don't know. it would be hard to see her turn something like that down because russia was a place that paid us a lot of money for our talent, more than being here in our own country. you've got to keep that in consideration. sad to say i'm wealthy not

because of the wnba salary. i would make my wnba salary in one month overseas, my whole salary. so, i think if a girl is offered a lot of money, she's going to think about it for a few minutes. we'll see. i'm interested to see if girls will go back over there and play. but for myself, i'm going to be done with that. >> we're hearing from the wnba commissioner kathy engelbert that the league is working on paying players more so they don't have to make those choices you're speaking about. making money here gained the wealth and appreciation that you experienced overseas and not have to go abroad. do you think that's possible? and would that help? >> i think it's possible. people say, oh, you guys don't get the fan base like your male counterparts or you don't get the viewership. well, we're not aggressively promoted as our male counterparts. these women are mothers, ceos, businesswomen. there was one wnba player, she played with cancer. those stories aren't told. if you promote the women just like the men, people will watch when i meet people, they want to

watch me play because they know who they're coming to watch. once we get the brand partnerships behind us and promoting us and people know who we are, they'll come to watch. it will grow. >> i certainly hope so. and it's always important to see yourself in the role models that you are looking at, you are choosing for your children to watch, that you yourself would hope to emulate and certainly respect all that you have done. and of course i have my hat off to the wnba more broadly for always being insistent on having a very holistic approach in using their platform and keeping social justice issues top of mind. so, thank you. >> thank you so much. that's what we're here to do, and thank you so much for having me. >> thank you. and we will have more from inside the swap for brittney griner and a congressional report about the washington commanders coming out, showing the culture of fear and toxicity apparently. we'll tell you more about that report. stay with us.

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tonight we're learning new details about brittney griner's release from russian custody and what she endured during her time at a russian penal colony. sports analyst christine brennan joins me and political analyst alex burns is also back with us. karen, i wonder what your reaction has been because this news, it's been a bit of a whirlwind collectively for the world to see. many people were wondering whether she would ever be able to come home, looking at what happened to paul whelan, of course, and so many other americans who have been wrongfully detained and are working on their cases. what's your sense? >> well, you know, i've had the honor since this past summer to work with brittney's team, led by lindsey cola, who is her agent, trying to build a coalition to make it clear she is ours. she is an american.

she represents the best of us. and to help in the effort to coordinate with the administration. and you're right. there were times we were worried -- we didn't know what was going to happen. certainly after -- when she was moved to the penal colony, there were a couple of weeks we didn't know where she was. we got word she was going to be moved and that we wouldn't know for a couple of weeks. and that was a really frightening time. so, i feel emotional. it's such a blessing. you know, we live in such a cynical town. and miracles can happen. and something wonderful has happened. and one of the things i wanted to share, you know, brittney is someone who -- she's such a kind, bubbly person, as her teammate was describing her. she's also someone who's very committed to public service. she is someone -- she was bullied as a child. she does anti-bullying and works

with young people. she is known to drive around with shoes in the back of her car to give them to unhoused people she might see, or maybe give them some food. that's the kind of person she is. and one of the things we've been talking about for several months that has been really at the center is, she's very committed to doing what she can to help get paul home. the hope had been that they would both be able to come home at the same time, but also continue to raise awareness that we have americans who are being held wrongfully around the world. and we have to remember, they're ours. they're american citizens. obviously each has different situations. that's something i know she cares deeply about. that's part of why cherelle mentioned paul in her remarks at the white house. and i think that's something she'll be working on when she gets through this first part of her journey. >> i'm so glad you mentioned that. so many times we were following the headlines and following the stories. people can often be reduced inadvertently to the subject of the story as opposed to the

person and the individual and who they are to the people that love them and know them best. and the cynicism can run rampant. but this is a moment collectively that it was a diplomatic celebration at hand. and still focusing on others, like paul whelan. kristine, we are learning there may have been some inhuman food and water conditions at a penal colony in russia, which is probably not surprising to people. the nature we're learning about the distinctions we expect in the states. we sometimes live in a glass house when it comes to our own legal system. but certainly what we know in comparison to penal colonies are very different. just thinking about the intersection of this olympian, the mental fortitude it would take to reach the levels of success she has athletically, the drive, the focus. i wonder if you've reflected on what that must have been like for those two circumstances to meet? >> 6'9", two-time olympic gold medallist representing the

country wearing the red, white, and blue, and in a cage, as we saw her during that trial. i couldn't get that out of my head. i've interviewed her. i covered her at the olympic games. i covered her when she was at baylor, one of the great players in college basketball history. ncaa champ, wnba champ, eight-time wnba all star, only 32 years old, has done all that. mostly representing our nation so beautifully twice at the olympic games. you know what also struck me? the wnba players. with cherelle griner, they never missed a beat. i think this may well be the finest hour for any u.s. pro sports league ever in terms of basically turning themselves into a pr machine to elevate her name and to have americans care about her. she should have been a household name ten years ago, but she wasn't because of the way we look at women's sports compared to men's sports. of course now she is.

and she is in large part because of all those wnba players who wore her number, all the court had the number 42. and as we turn from summer to fall, america knew her name and people knew who she was. and the conversation, of course, we had earlier was, you know, if it were tom brady or it were lebron james, they would already be out. maybe they would never have even been in russia because of the financial disparity between men's and women's sports. but the key fact for the wnba was that they then said, okay, you're going to get to know this woman. she's our friend, our colleague, our teammate. we're going to spend the next few months telling you about her and look what happened. >> it's so interesting. i see your button. there was an event at the white house, megan rapinoe, soccer extraordinaire had it embroidered in an all white suit, brittney griner's number.

it's been for women athletes united. then there are those who have looked at the fact that sometimes the attention of a president is persuaded by the level of celebrity. you see this in politics all the time. and people have been a little bit cynical about the idea of the why. and yet there have been commitments by the biden administration to keep fighting for paul whelan. trevor reed was released. i wonder though what leverage the u.s. now has. russia was aware about how people were viewing the detention of brittney griner. we are learning there may have been an attempt or interest in exchanging a spy that was held by germany. how does this all play out here? >> well, i couldn't begin to tell you how it's all going to play out. what i will say about how it has played out is i think it's pretty clear that an aggressive, sophisticated publicity effort on brittney griner's behalf and

trevor reed's behalf -- less elaborate effort, but his family speaking out the way they did clearly made a difference. i think it's a challenge for this administration and every administration going forward to figure out how to make sure that you are taking care of americans who are held overseas, even if they don't have access to the kind of microphones and cameras that some folks do. i think it's part of why what karen was saying is so, so important going forward. people who have been involved in this clearly have a personal vested -- i think it's fair to say emotional commitment in sticking up for other folks. i think it's incumbent on this administration, again, every administration going forward to explain how they're going to manage situations like this without encouraging more of this hostage taking in the future. when you look at an individual case, it's really, really hard not to feel like you've just got to get them home, right?

you can't tolerate an american -- to say nothing of a great american athlete being held in a cage like that is just unimaginable. at the same time, you know, once you've negotiated, you give people a pretty good incentive to keep seizing bargaining chips, right? and i think the question that you asked your guests a little while about will she go back to russia, i can't imagine the calculus behind going back to russia when they've shown what they're capable of and eager to do. >> and that's just one of the things we talked about early on, the sanctity of sport. think about this. we have athletes playing at the world cup. we have russian athletes who come here, that there needs to be, whether it's tourism or athletes or entertainers who travel abroad, there has to be a shared agreement that people will be safe. it was one of the things we wanted to highlight. and i do just want to say, one of the -- brittney, i know, is glad to have been able to bring america's attention back to the case of paul whelan. that is so critically important because we hadn't been talking

about him. we hadn't really known much about him. and i think she -- i know just one of the hopefully positive things that could come out of such a horrible situation. and frankly, bringing attention to the pay disparity that wnba players had. i mean, you heard her teammates say, you know, she could make -- >> in a month. >> -- in a month. those are disparities we've got to take on. we've got to make sure our athletes are safe. but we've also got to make sure our people are safe. and it's a real tough balance for the government. >> it's of course one of the focus we were talking about with the world cup, right? the idea of the men's team advancing to the different levels they were at the u.s. side, being a title ix team and guaranteeing payment to the soccer team. we'll be right back. ♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪

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breaking news tonight from the world cup. u.s. soccer says journalist grant wall has died while covering the world cup in doha. grant wall's wife, celine

grounder, posted the u.s. soccer statement on twitter and wrote, i am so thankful for the support of my husband, grant wall's, soccer family and of so many friends who have reached out tonight. i am in complete shock. christine brennan is with me now. this is unbelievable. we were just speaking about the world cup and in light of the title ix players. and now we're getting this horrible news about his death. what does the statement say? >> well, first of all, laura, grant was a colleague and friend of mine. i've covered many, many soccer tournaments, especially women's soccer tournaments with him. there is no more respected, beloved soccer journalist in the country and potentially in the world than grant wahl. and this is absolutely heartbreaking news. it is stunning, shocking. it's just awful news. one of the most talented, lovely human beings, you could ever want to meet. what u.s. soccer has said,

looking on my phone here, that they are heart broken to learn that we have lost grant wahl. the fans of soccer and journalism are the highest quality knew we could always count on grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game and all the teams and what have you. his passion for soccer and commitment to elevating his profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game. and it may be most important here, laura, as important as u.s. soccer is saying in a statement about grant wahl, grant's belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was and will remain an inspiration to all. there's several more sentences. but that is such an important point because it was grant who was wearing that rainbow t-shirt just a week and a half ago, two weeks ago, as the world cup began and was detained for, i

believe, it was about a half hour when the authorities at the stadium, the qatari authorities, were telling him he couldn't go in with that t-shirt. what did grant wahl do? he didn't take that t-shirt off. he kept it on and he sat there until one of the supervisors at the world cup allowed him to go ahead and do his job with that t-shirt on. that was grant wahl. >> unbelievable to know the importance of that message, the importance of what they represented on the world stage at a time when the world was watching. and to think about the loss of such a respected man. and many people know his wife, celine brenner. she was, remember, a member of the covid-19 advisory board for president biden. she's an american infectious disease specialist. it's just unbelievable to think of this tragedy. i have john berman on the line as well. john, you're an avid fan of the sport and such respect for grant

wahl. what's your reaction tonight to this horrible news? >> i'm gutted. i'm shocked. i first met grant in 2010 in south africa, covering that world cup. grant was just given an award by fifa, the world soccer governing body because he was covering his eighth world cup. this was the eighth world cup in a row he's covered. he is -- as christine brennan, pre-eminent figure skating journalist on planet earth, grant wahl is the pre-eminent soccer journalist in america. but more than that. he was just a lovely, lovely, sweet guy. he adored soccer. he wanted to share his love with soccer with everybody. but he never lost sight of what

else was important and what was most important wherever he went. he went to qatar months ago to write an article about the migrant workers there, a very controversial article, a very controversial subject. as christine said, he wore the rainbow shirt to the first world cup game. he's the top soccer journalist in america, but he always entertained my texts. and i'm just a schmuck soccer fan. and i would weigh in after games with my stupid observations, but grant would always write back with the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful notes. it's just such an epic loss. and i do want to say -- i mean, i listen to his podcast twice every week. he -- and i've been talking to him. he had been sick. he had been >> according to him on his podcast had tested negative, but

he had been sick. he hadn't been feeling well, but, you know -- nothing that would indicate what ultimately happened. man, it is, it's just so tragic. it's just so tragic to hear something like this. he had plans to be there for the entire world cup, 37 days he was spending in qatar. he was living in a condo with three other guys, journalists there covering it. that's what you do. you go to the world cup for the duration. you cover for the duration. you go to as many games as you can, and that's what he was doing. he would talk about before the quarter finals, which were today, he had taken a few days just to rest up because he was so worn out. but to hear something like this is just so sad. >> john, i can hear it in your voice. just thinking about the anguish this family must be enduring tonight.

we have more, we're learning more information, we'll bring it to you as soon as we have it. learning now about the death of journalist grant wahl, so respected in this field. so unparalleled in his ability to convey this love of game for the entire world. he has died while covering the world cup in qatar. we'll be back. hearing aids that i can personalize to each ear right from here. brilliant. if you still have symptoms of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis or active psoriatic arthritis after a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq is different and may help. stand up to your symptoms with rinvoq.

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our shocking our shocking breaking news tonight from the world cup. u.s. soccer says journalist grant wahl has died while covering the world cup in doha. grant's belief in the power of the game to advance human rights will and will remain an inspiration to all. grant made soccer his life's work. he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us. we've got much more on this. stay right here. we're in doha right after this.

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