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Twenty-Four Counties in Florida in State of Emergency Ahead of Tropical Storm Ian Possibly Making Landfall as Hurricane; Hurricane Fiona Becomes Post Tropical Cyclone and Threatens Parts of Maritime Canadian Provinces; Three Attorneys Representing Former President Trump Argue for His Power to Assert Executive and Attorney-Client Privileges Related to Conversations about January 6th. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired September 24, 2022 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:00:53]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. It is Saturday, September 24th. I'm Amara Walker.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Amara. I'm Boris Sanchez. Grateful that you are starting your weekend with us. You are live in the CNN Newsroom where we are monitoring two storms this morning. We begin in Florida where in 24 counties there is a state of emergency. Tropical storm Ian is moving through the Caribbean and could grow to a category three hurricane before it hits Florida next week.

WALKER: Residents from the Florida panhandle to the Florida Keys are being told to prepare for storm surges, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona is not a post tropical cyclone and moving through eastern Canada. We are seeing our first images from Nova Scotia. Yes, sparks flying. You can see in the video the driving wind breaking down power lines and downing trees. In Nova Scotia more than 300,000 customers are without power. But residents in four provinces face severe weather as the storm moves north.

CNN's Allison Chinchar and Carlos Suarez are joining us now. And Allison, we'll start with you to get an update on tropical storm Ian, which seems to be getting stronger.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is, yes. We're getting a first look now that sun is starting to come up over the visible satellite. We can take a good close look at tropical storm Ian. It's really starting to come together and look a little bit more like we traditionally expect a tropical system to look like. Right now sustained winds are 45 miles per hour, gusting up to 60 miles per hour. We have tropical storm watches in effect for Jamaica and hurricane watches in effect for the Cayman Islands.

The reason for the difference is we anticipate this storm is going to strengthen into a category one hurricane by the time it crosses over the Cayman Islands, likely very late Sunday or early Monday morning. Then it will further strengthen up to likely a category two by the time it makes its way to Cuba. And the main reason for this is all of this very warm water, these sea surface temperatures throughout this area are in the mid-to-upper 80s in that region. It's also not just the surface. Even as you start to go down tens of feet, that ocean heat content there is also extremely warm. And that's that fuel that that storm will need to intensify over the next several days once it gets into the Gulf of Mexico hitting, again, a lot of that very warm air. And also, too, you are looking at very low sheer, something that normally inhibits these tropical cyclones, there really isn't much sheer in this area.

So we do anticipate that this storm will become a major hurricane as it enters the eastern Gulf of Mexico. As of right now anywhere from Apalachicola all the way down to Key West is still a possibility for landfall for this storm, so we'll keep a close eye on it in the coming days.

SANCHEZ: Allison Chinchar in the CNN Weather Center, thank you so much.

Let's pivot to Carlos Suarez now who has been following the developments on this storm. Carlos, it takes a lot for Floridians to snap out of it and prepare. They usually shrug at a category three hurricane, as you, Amara, and I well know. Are folks worried about Ian?

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the hope, at least from emergency officials right now, is that folks take advantage of the fact that we are in a weekend, and so they can get their preparations done ahead of time. We know that officials have asked folks all along Florida's west coast as well as the Florida Keys to go ahead and wrap up their preparations by Monday night. You are taking a look at some of those folks that are getting bottled water in the Tampa area.

Now, later today, authorities in the Keys, they are set to decide whether visitors and people who live in mobile homes will be asked to evacuate. Exactly where Ian ends up making landfall is still unclear at this hour. Heading into the weekend, the governor of Florida declared a state of emergency for 24 counties and he activated the National Guard. Parts of the Florida Keys, they are still rebuilding after hurricane Irma hit in 2017, a category four storm, caused billions in damage and wiped away homes in the lower and middle keys. Boris?

[10:05:01]

SANCHEZ: Carlos Suarez, thank you so much, and Allison Chinchar, as well.

As we noted earlier in the hour, hurricane Fiona is now a post- tropical cyclone, but it still is powerful. Canada's maritime provinces are seeing damaging winds and storm surge. So we want to talk to somebody who is on the ground there now. Joining us from the Emergency Management Center is Mike Savage. He's the mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mayor, grateful to have you this morning. I imagine it's been a busy one so far. What have won seeing?

MAYOR MIKE SAVAGE, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: Yes, it's been a very wild night here this storm, in anticipation of yesterday it being called historic and a landmark storm. We have had hurricanes here in Nova Scotia in maritime Canada before, but this one is pretty bad. A lot of uprooted trees, power outages all over the place. And our bridges and our connections to transit are all closed out. And so we're here in Halifax. We are starting to see the active part of this, and we can start to do more damage assessment. Our thoughts go out to people in Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island who are going to be suffering this for a while yet.

SANCHEZ: And so you are in the very, very early stages of planning the damage assessment. What are you anticipating? Have there been reports of severe damage, or does it seem to be mostly manageable stuff?

SAVAGE: Well, there is some severe damage for sure. We have just found out about an apartment that had a roof collapse. That's 100 people that we have to evacuate to a comfort center, which means that folks who are going to go there to get their cellphones charged and things like that, we would prefer they wouldn't do that while we are moving people in for their comfort and safety.

Our roads crews as well as those of the province, parks and rec folks are all welcome to see it. On my way here early this morning, we saw trees that were down and power lines. Of course, we encourage people to be safe and to stay away from those and try not to clean it all up yourself. If you see something, call it into the 311 call center in Halifax. That would be the same in other municipalities across the province.

SANCHEZ: At this stage, given what you have seen, what gives you the most cause for concern?

SAVAGE: Well, we were concerned about a number of things. We have a lot of construction happening in Halifax, so we have construction debris, cranes. We seem to have done OK. We have folks, like other cities, who are homeless, living in encampments. We've moved them out to comfort shelters to provide them a place to be secure, to get food and water. And we're a coastal community, Boris, and so we always worry with the kind of wave action that we're seeing. Storm surge is very dramatic along the Atlantic coast here, and so people living in the coastal communities are -- always have to be particularly careful.

And of course, just people need to have been prepared, to have the provisions they need for potentially two or three days or longer without power. I think most people are taking that seriously. We said that this would be a difficult storm. The folks here in the city and the province, the federal government, all of our agencies, including our utilities and Nova Scotia Power, Health Water are working together very effectively and doing everything they can to make sure that we survive this and come through, and I appreciate all the work they are doing.

SANCHEZ: Certainly, we are glad to hear that folks have heeded the warnings, too. Mayor, climate scientists have pointed out that it's more likely that areas in the northeast like yours are going to experience an increase in storms like this one as waters get warmer and the hurricane season becomes more intense. Is that something that, as the mayor of a coastal city, you have taken into account? Is your city trying to take steps now to prepare for that into the future?

SAVAGE: Yes, you are breaking up a little bit on me, but I think your question was these storms are happening more often. And for a long time we've watched storms come up with the Caribbean and from the southern U.S., come up the eastern seaboard, and then they generally hit colder water. But with climate change these are becoming more frequent, as are the volatility of winter storms, snow.

So we are taking measures here in the city of Halifax to protect our city. We have a very good climate action plan that's going to require investment and support with orders of government. But absolutely, we are getting more of these, and we have to be ready for them.

SANCHEZ: Mayor Mike Savage, we appreciate the time. We hope that, despite some of the severe damage you described, everyone in your area is alive and well. Thanks so much for the time.

SAVAGE: Thank you very much for your time.

WALKER: CNN has learned details of a secret court battle being waged by former President Donald Trump's attorneys. They are fighting to keep a federal grand jury from getting information from Trump's inner circle about his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

[10:10:00]

SANCHEZ: Three attorneys representing Trump appeared at D.C. federal courthouse on Thursday in the most aggressive effort yet by Trump to assert executive and attorney-client privileges.

We want to bring in CNN's Marshall Cohen now because he has been tracking this. Marshall, it's, obviously, a secret court battle, but what can you tell us about what CNN's reporting has unveiled?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, guys. Yes, this is a fresh new information about the January 6th investigation. Of course, as we all know, there is the committee in Congress, but this is the much more serious and possibly consequential criminal investigation. So as you mentioned, there is a grand jury that's conducting this investigation based here in D.C., and this dispute is over what information they are going to get.

On one side, you have the Justice Department that's pushing for testimony and expansive testimony from some key Trump White House officials. On the other side of this dispute, you have former President Trump's lawyers who are trying to shield parts of that testimony, arguing that it is privileged and should be out of bounds for the criminal investigation.

You've got basically some players here that were really important to the attempts to overturn the election. You have got people that were in the White House, possibly lawyers. We don't know for sure which people this implicates, but these are folks that we know that have testified already to the grand jury and declined to answer some questions based on privilege, and that might be the privilege that the Justice Department is trying to overcome. Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, his deputy Patrick Philbin, and then officials like Marc Short and Greg Jacob who were senior advisors to Vice President Pence.

Again, we don't know for sure these are the people involved in this dispute. However, the Justice Department very well might be trying to overcome the privilege considerations regarding people just like these because they have critical information. They were often in the room with Trump during key moments during the presidential transition that, guys, as we know, got pretty rocky.

WALKER: Yes, exactly. Marshall Cohen, appreciate you taking us through that. Thank you very much.

And still to come this morning, the race to the midterms is heating up with less than 50 days until Election Day. Tough words coming from President Biden as he sharpens his message.

And John Fetterman getting ready to speak at a rally in Philadelphia as questions still surround his health.

SANCHEZ: Plus, a new report shedding light on the racial disparity in the NFL when it comes to head coaches. How black coaches face more hurdles than their white counterparts later on in Newsroom. Stay with us.

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[10:16:50]

SANCHEZ: House Republicans this week unveiled their legislative agenda aiming to sway voters heading into the midterm elections, calling it a commitment to America.

WALKER: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy says it's a new direction to help Republicans take the country back. But President Biden is blasting the plan, saying it's short on specifics. CNN Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona has the latest.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my honor to introduce my good friend, the next Speaker of House, Kevin McCarthy.

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has a plan to win the House majority, and with it the coveted Speaker's gavel. Flanked by members of his own party, including some of the most controversial members, McCarthy unveiled an official agenda on Friday, a picture of unity from a sheet metal plant in the Pittsburgh suburbs. All this just weeks before the November elections.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: So you know what? We've created a commitment to America. (APPLAUSE)

ZANONA: Absent from the scene, red hats and Donald Trump gear, typically staples of Republican events.

MCCARTHY: There are some policies that President Trump had that worked well, securing the border. We watched economic policies has gone through. But this isn't about an individual. This is about the nation.

ZANONA: McCarthy pushing the former president's MAGA policies but never mentioning Trump by name as Republican leaders laid out their pitch to solve some of the nation's most pressuring issues, including inflation.

REP. ELISE STEFANIK, (R-NY): It's a direct result of the failed policies of one party Democrat rule in Washington. And there is a better way.

ZANONA: Border security.

REP. STEVE SCALISE, (R-LA) HOUSE MINORITY WHIP: We would like to know how many people have come across our border illegally. Don't you want to know that answer?

ZANONA: School policies.

MCCARTHY: We should ensure women only compete in women's sports.

ZANONA: And a pledge to investigate what they call abuses by the Biden administration.

REP. JIM JORDAN, (R-OH): House Republicans are committed to exposing and holding accountable those in our government who have come after we the people.

ZANONA: President Joe Biden wasting no time pushing back, attacking Republicans as extreme and arguing their plan isn't serious.

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Kevin McCarthy went to Pennsylvania and unveiled what he calls a commitment to America. That's a thin series of policy goals with little or no detail.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ZANONA (on camera): One issue that did not come up at the Pittsburgh rollout was abortion. That, of course, is an issue that Democrats have made a central plank of their midterm messaging. But Republicans have really run away from the issue. They have struggled to talk about abortion in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, and in fact their policy platform only has a passing reference to the issue, saying that the Republicans are going to protect the lives you have unborn children and mothers. But GOP leaders have not said which abortion bills, if any, they would put on the floor if they win the House majority. Amara, Boris?

WALKER: Melanie, appreciate it. Thank you very much. SANCHEZ: So President Biden is heading to his home in Wilmington,

Delaware, this weekend after rallying Democrats in Washington and sharpening his rhetoric ahead of the midterm elections.

WALKER: At the Democratic National Committee event, Biden blasted the Republicans' midterm agenda, calling it a thin series of policy goals.

[10:20:04]

He highlighted his accomplishments so far, and he promised to make abortion rights legal, protect Social Security, and pass an assault weapons ban if Democrats keep control of congress.

SANCHEZ: Let's take you now live to Wilmington, Delaware, with CNN reporter Priscilla Alvarez who is traveling with the president this weekend. Priscilla, bring us up to speed on what President Biden is trying to relay to voters just 45 days out from the midterm elections.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: President Biden is trying to capitalize on what he says are political wins in his administration as well as illustrate the difference between Democrats and Republicans just ahead of the midterm elections. And as you mentioned during that speech at a DNC event just yesterday, he touted his policy goals. He also talked about the recovery of the economy, and laid out what he said Democrats would do if they were to win -- protect Social Security, pass an assault weapons ban. And he promised to codify Roe v. Wade that. That is a central message that the Democrats are trying to get across here is what they would do on abortion. And at that event he really underscored what the stakes are if Republicans were to win. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If the Republicans win control of the Congress, abortion will be banned. And by the way, it will be initially banned, but if they win Congress I will veto it.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Biden also reiterated criticisms that he has said before about calling out Republicans for supporting the big lie as well as, quote, MAGA Republicans, saying it's not the whole Republican Party, but that there are Republicans who have pledged their loyalty to Donald Trump. Of course, all of this coming as Republicans go after his agenda, and in particular border security. That's something that the Republicans have elevated attacks over the last week by moving migrants out of state, out of Republican states, to Democratic cities. But of course, all of this really heating up in the days leading up to the midterm election and the president himself increase his political activity. Boris?

WALKER: Priscilla Alvarez, thank you very much.

And to Philadelphia now where Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman is holding a rally. Fetterman has committed to debate his Republican opponent, Dr. Oz, on October 25th. That's less than two weeks before Election Day.

SANCHEZ: Fetterman says he is running a perfectly normal campaign, but he is facing lingering questions about his health after, you may recall, he suffered a major stroke in May. Let's take you there now with CNN national political reporter Dan Merica. He is live for us in Philadelphia. Dan, what are we expecting to hear from Fetterman at today's rally?

DAN MERICA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Boris, it's been traditional fare from the Democratic nominee since he suffered that stroke in May, took two months off the campaign trail, and has been slowly reemerging over the last few weeks to months, getting back on the campaign trail, doing events. Those events have been relatively short speeches. He's focused mostly on attacking Oz and some applause lines. They haven't been sweeping policy indictments of him, more focused on Oz than they are on other things.

This is pretty friendly territory for Fetterman. This county, Philadelphia County, Joe Biden won with 81 percent of the vote in 2020, the most lopsided county in the commonwealth for Democrats. And if you drill down even further, this zip code where we are right now went 96 percent for Biden.

So why is Fetterman here? It's all about turnout and excitement and making sure people here are as energized for John Fetterman as they were for Joe Biden. So far, if you look at the race, the map of Pennsylvania, you see kind of a sea of red with blue dots, the bluest being where we are right here. John Fetterman's team is well aware that they have to keep those dots blue, and they have been running the campaign where they have gone to some red counties trying to win over Trump supporters.

So far this race has focused as much on policy issues like inflation, the economy, and abortion as it really has on personal attacks between Oz and Fetterman. Fetterman spent much of the summer attacking Oz for living very recently in New Jersey just across the river here. Oz has responded by questioning Fetterman's health, raising questions about whether he will debate, sometimes in somewhat snide tones. And that has really colored this entire race.

Why this area is important also is that Oz made the case that as the nominee he would be better positioned than other Republicans, possibly more conservative Republicans, to win over places like this in counties around Philadelphia. What we'll see today is, does John Fetterman have a tailored message to folks here, who are reliable Democratic voters, that can cut into possibly that appeal that Oz may offer here in Philadelphia and in the surrounding area. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Dan Merica live from Philadelphia, closely watching one of the biggest races on the map come election day. Dan, thank you so much.

[10:25:04] WALKER: All right, coming up, some Jackson, Mississippi, residents have brought a new lawsuit against the city amid the ongoing water crisis. What the residents are demanding. I'm going to speak with a plaintiff in the case when we come back.

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WALKER: Several residents from Jackson, Mississippi, have filed a class-action lawsuit against the city, the mayor, and several others regarding the ongoing water crisis that left tens of thousands of people without safe and running water. But the lawsuit alleges that Jackson's water supply has been neglected for decades and that the city's water was not fit for human consumption even before this latest crisis due to high levels of lead and other contaminants, and of course, very low water pressure.

[10:30:14]

Here with me now is Jackson resident Raine Becker who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and attorney Mark Chalos, who is representing the plaintiffs in this class-action lawsuit. First off, thank you to you both for being here.

And, Raine, I want to start with you, because you have been through a tremendous amount of hardship. You have a seven-year-old son who suffers from serious medical conditions. I understand he has a feeding tube. And so, obviously, access to clean water could mean the difference between life and death for him. With that said, how did you manage during this last water crisis in Jackson where there has been no running water for tens of thousands of people, and for those who did have it, the water was tinged in this brown color that was coming out of the taps?

RAINE BECKER, PLAINTIFF, JACKSON CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT: It's been difficult. Access to clean, sanitary water is absolutely a necessity for my son. And without it, that would be catastrophic for him. So I have had to go to distribution sites and get cases of water. Thankfully, I have been able to do that. If I didn't have that, my other option would be to go to the hospital and get sterile water for him. It's absolutely something he has to have.

WALKER: So what was your day like, Raine? I was in Jackson just for a few days, and I saw dozens and dozens of people waiting in line for hours just to get cases of water. But you have a son with a terminal condition. What were the days like for you? You would stay in line and then bring the water, and then how would you take care of your son with his feeding tube?

BECKER: Somehow, I just managed it all. It is difficult, though. Yes, there have been times where you wait in line for one to three hours. Sometimes it's not that long. And you just do what you have to do. I'm just thankful that the water has been provided. I'm very grateful for that.

WALKER: So, Mark, the lawsuit names several city officials, including Jackson's mayor and infrastructure engineering company. Why are you holding them responsible? And what exactly is the lawsuit asking for?

MARK CHALOS, ATTORNEY, MISSISSIPPI WATER CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT: This situation is a result of years of neglect, mismanagement, bad decision-making by government officials. And these private companies were hired do various things to improve the water system, and they just didn't do it. The purpose of our lawsuit is to get clean water to the residents of Jackson. In 2022 for a major American city, a state capital, the most populous city in the state to not have clean running water is absolutely shameful.

WALKER: So the boil water advisory, which was in place for more than 40 days, and I'm just shaking my head about what you must have been through, Raine, that was lifted days ago. Do you trust the water, Raine, coming out of the tap now? Do your neighbors?

BECKER: No. Absolutely not. And you see it all over the city right now. Even when you go to a restaurant, they are using canned sodas. They are not giving out tap.

WALKER: How has this water crisis complicated your life? Because it also impacts your job and what you do.

BECKER: It does, correct. So my main income is washing laundry. And so I didn't have water for two days. So when the water stopped, my income stopped, essentially. But I also deliver food. But the water crisis has affected the restaurants here. So I have to go out farther to make some type of money and deliver food.

WALKER: Wow, I appreciate you telling us your story, Raine and Mark, for coming on, to explain the lawsuit with us. All the best to you guys, best of luck. Thank you very much for your time.

CHALOS: Thank you.

WALKER: And we should note that CNN has reached out to the defendants named in the lawsuit. When reached, the mayor's office declined to comment. CNN also heard back from the office of former public works director Kishia Powell. Her office told CNN, quote, "Miss Powell would prefer to keep the focus on the team working on the crisis in Jackson and at this time is declining requests for interviews." The Siemens Corporation and Siemens Industry which are also cited in the lawsuit say they cannot comment on active litigation.

[10:35:02]

SANCHEZ: Coming up, a new report takes a closer look at how black NFL coaches face hiring hurdles in the league. Up next, we'll ask a former black NFL coach why it's happening and what could be done to fix the problem.

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SANCHEZ: New reporting in "The Washington Post" this week outlines the NFL's failures at promoting diversity among its highest ranks, specifically, the league's lack of black head coaches. "The Post" detailed that despite performing about as well as their white counterparts, black head coaches spend more time as mid-level assistants, they're more likely to be given interim jobs instead of full-time posts, and they face more scrutiny. They get fired more often than white head coaches with the same record.

This season there are three black head coaches in the NFL, the same number there were in 2003 when the league enacted the Rooney Rule to force owners to consider more candidates of color for head coaching at front office jobs.

[10:40:06]

The league in a statement to "The Post" says they are focused on doing everything they can to get this right.

So let's get some perspective now from a former black NFL head coach. Romeo Crennel joins us this morning. Sir, we're grateful that you are sharing part of your weekend with us. You spoke with "The Washington Post" for this report. Why do you think the NFL has had such a hard time addressing this issue?

ROMEO CRENNEL, INTERIM COACH, HOUSTON TEXANS (2020): Well, thanks for having me, first of all. But I think that it goes back a long way, because of what's happened in this country starting like 400 years ago. A lot of attitudes were set in place, and then we have been trying to work through it since then. You would like to think that it would go faster than it has gone, but in my lifetime, I have seen some things society-wise that were not great for us.

But now it's improving. It's gotten better. But we would like for it to move faster. And I think that's the case with coaches in the NFL. For a while there were no black players in the NFL. Then we got black players. All right, then we eventually got black coaches, particularly assistant coaches. And so in that pipeline, that chain of command pipeline from the owner to the general manager to the head coach to the defensive coordinators, offensive coordinators, assistant coaches, special teams coaches, if we can get more black coaches in that pipeline, then we will get more exposure. And I think that the big thing that is that exposure with ownership and management, the guys who make the decisions about the hiring of black coaches, then I think that we can see more progress.

SANCHEZ: Sir, Tony Dungy, the Super Bowl winning former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, he told "The Post" that often black head coaches that experience racism from owners and others in the league, they keep quiet because they don't want revealing that to get in the way of future opportunities. I'm wondering, you had a long career in the NFL. You only retired last year. Did you have experiences that you felt were racist or discriminatory?

CRENNEL: Well, I wouldn't say in my case that that happened to me. But I have seen instances where it could be considered to be racism. And that's the thing that society and coaches are kind of fighting for is an equal opportunity. I don't think that black coaches want anything given to them. What they want is they want an equal opportunity to be considered equally on a level playing field so that if they are qualified for the job, then they have a great opportunity of getting the job.

And the best example I can give you of that is Mike Tomlin with Pittsburgh. When that job came open, no one felt like that he even had a chance to be considered, all right? But went in and he had an interview, and some of that had to do with the Rooney Rule, but he got to interview, and he did a great job in the interview, and he got the job. And he still has the job. I don't think he has had a losing season since he has gotten the job.

And so that capability is out there. And so black coaches, we want the opportunity to be able to step in and run a team and show that we can be leaders as well.

SANCHEZ: Sir, I'm glad you mentioned Mike Tomlin. He is one of the most successful coaches of the modern era in the NFL. But I remember as a Dolphins fan, he was in the running to be our head coach. And at the time it was reported that leadership within the Miami Dolphins said that he was too, quote, urban for our team. So there is an example right there of somebody who proved to be very successful that was kept from becoming a head coach for reasons that are, let's say, at the purview of ownership. How do we fix this problem from a league perspective, do you think?

CRENNEL: Well, I know the league has made attempts to get exposure for the coordinators, to ownership, and they are continuing to make moves, adjustment to the Rooney Rule, for instance, that every team has to interview two minority candidates. And I think that they also have to hire a minority or a female on the offensive side of the ball.

[10:45:01]

And offensive side of the ball because it seems like the offense is what management looks at, because they deal with the quarterback, and the quarterback is the face of the team. The head coach is the face of the operation. And so if we can get more people in that pipeline, more offensive coordinators, then I think that we'll have a chance to show that we are more than capable. In Tampa Bay, we have a young man, a quarterback down there, who is an offensive coordinator, and he is working with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and he is doing a great job. So the ability is there. We just need to have the opportunities and on an equal, level playing field.

SANCHEZ: Yes, I look forward to next season and seeing if Byron Leftwich, the offensive coordinator you mentioned, gets a head coaching job. He certainly deserves one, as do others.

Sir, we have got to leave it there. Romeo Crennel, thank you so much for the time, sir.

CRENNEL: Thank you for having me.

WALKER: An end of an era playing out in London as Roger Federer wrapped up his career playing with long-time Rafael Nadal. How it all came to an end, that's next. Look at that.

Plus, this programming note. Earlier we talked to one the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against Jackson, Mississippi, officials over a recent water crisis. Later today the mayor of Jackson, Chokwe Lumumba, will be on CNN. He is one of the officials named in that lawsuit. That interview airs later today at noon.

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:51:27]

WALKER: Two of the greatest athletes of this generation took center stage Friday night.

SANCHEZ: Carolyn Manno joins us now. Carolyn, a special, tearful moment for Roger Federer and number 700 for Albert Pujols.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Good morning to you both. And really a pair of endings that were fit for both in their respective sports. For Albert Pujols, a milestone that has come at the end of a late career renaissance for the hall of famer. Hit home run 699 in the third, and everybody went crazy. And then one inning later, with 50,000 at Dodgers Stadium eagerly watching, he joins Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth in baseball's 700 home run club. The slugger got a huge hug from his longtime teammate Yadier Molina and the curtain call from the L.A. faithful as well. That stadium is a familiar face for the former Angel and Dodger, even though he was in a Cardinals uniform last night. Pujols is retiring after this season, and his six children were front row for his press conference after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERT PUJOLS, FOURTH MLB PLAYER TO HIT 700 HOME RUNS: My beautiful family, that's who I play for. They've been walking through this, through this journey, through the ups and downs and through the cries and through the hurt, through the angry, and knowing they have my back, it's amazing how a guy works. This could have happened last week, which probably would be awesome. But to allow it to happen tonight, having my family, friends, and people that really care about me is really special for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: And in London, not a dry eye in sight as Roger Federer took to the court one last time. The 41-year-old 20-time Grand Slam champ joined by his longtime rival and friend Rafael Nadal, the two legends teaming up for doubles at the Laver Cup. Federer's family was on hand for his final match. Everybody very emotional watching one of the most revered athletes in the world say goodbye.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER FEDERER, 20-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: Everybody's here, the girls, the boys. My wife has been so supportive. And -

(APPLAUSE) FEDERER: She could have stopped me a long, long time ago, but she didn't. She kept me going and allowed me to play. So it's amazing. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: Nadal was crying as well, you guys, in a moment that went viral. But so poignant for both of these legends to thank those closest to them, their families, the ones that have ridden the highs and lows. They've accomplished so much in their sports. But it's those people that you think about when it matters the most. So really an emotional night all around.

SANCHEZ: Emotional all around. I'm eager to see the memes of that picture of Nadal and Federer side by side just bawling. It was --

WALKER: Too early for the memes, come on. I'm still emotional seeing them side by side just in tiers. What beautiful moment and a show of sportsmanship.

SANCHEZ: Carolyn Manno, thank you so much, Carolyn.

MANNO: I'm not crying. You're crying.

(LAUGHTER)

WALKER: That's for watching, everyone. Thank you, Carolyn.

SANCHEZ: There's still much more ahead in the next hour of the CNN Newsroom. Fredricka Whitfield picks it up next.

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