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Suspect Killed, Several Officers Injured During Georgia Manhunt; 5 Killed, Several Missing After Floodwaters Hit Pennsylvania; Florida Ocean Temperatures Near Triple Digits; GOP Beat Dems in 2022 Midterm Turnout; Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Reigning Champion Novak Djokovic; FOX's Rupert Murdoch Does Not Want Trump Or DeSantis For President; New Series Looks At Black Comedians. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired July 16, 2023 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:46]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. Good evening. We start with breaking news out of Georgia where a suspect in a two-day manhunt has been shot and killed, and several officers have been injured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF REGINALD SCANDRETT, HENRY COUNTY, GEORGIA: The monster is dead. By utilizing collective investigative measures, we were able to track this suspect over to 138 in Mount Zion Parkway. We engaged the suspect. The suspect returned fire and hit the ground running. We gave chase, re-engaged the suspect. He produced a handgun again, shots and fired, gunfire was exchanged, and the suspect was neutralized.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Forty-year-old Andre Longmore is suspected of fatally shooting three men and one woman just south of Atlanta yesterday morning. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are still unclear, and police have not identified a motive.

And CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem joins us now.

Juliette, sounds like a pretty tense encounter between the suspect, who was on the run, it looks like, and these officers. As the sheriff was just saying a few moments ago, the monster is dead. They wanted to get this guy.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes. So this has been -- we've been monitoring this not on-air but for the last 24 hours because this was a mass shooting. Four people dead. The motive is unknown. So unknown how they knew the perpetrator was and who they were looking for. The killings took place in a subdivision. The victims all appeared to have known each other. So this wasn't some randomness.

So they probably had a pretty good sense of who they were looking for and then ultimately find him. I think this is -- you know, these are like the silver linings of all this gun horror that, you know, with focus and outreach to the community, they can identify people. But I think it also goes to the sort of fearlessness, I think is the right word, of some of these perpetrators who are willing to take out cops.

He knows he's not going to survive this, to kill police officers as sort of one final salvo. He knows that shooting them is going to ultimately lead to his death.

ACOSTA: And I guess it's fortunate, Juliette, that authorities were able to track him down because this was a manhunt.

KAYYEM: Yes.

ACOSTA: That was going on for several hours. And they did not know his whereabouts there initially, it sounds from what the authorities were saying, although they haven't -- they weren't saying a whole lot about the case yesterday when it all first came out.

KAYYEM: No.

ACOSTA: But, having said that, fortunate that they were able to track him down as quickly as they did because he was considered armed and dangerous and had killed four people.

KAYYEM: Yes. Yes, on Saturday morning, now, he kills the four. The manhunt starts. The subdivision is essentially where they were killed is essentially under lockdown because they don't know if he's -- if there's more things to come. And then the focus -- once again, this remarkable outreach to the community, trying to figure out very quickly who he is. He's armed and dangerous. Do not try to stop him.

And then either they identify him or they get a tip of where he is and then bring all the resources to bear to, you know -- you want to first try to bring him alive. You want to put him in jail. But when people start shooting at police officers, this is ultimately going to be in many cases the result and rightfully so. So, you know, this is the -- I want to call it sort of the second wave of our mass shooting culture now.

We have the mass shootings, and then we have, you know, the search and the attempt to stop someone before they do it again. And this is just because of the fearlessness that the guns are giving many of these criminals to simply go after the police officers now.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. Could have been much, much worse.

All right. Juliette Kayyem, thank you very much for that analysis. We appreciate it.

[18:05:00]

In the meantime, as we've been talking about throughout this program, extreme weather is battering the country today from punishing downpours in the northeast to sweltering heat in the southwest and southeast.

Authorities north of Philadelphia say flash floods have now killed at least five people, including members of a family visiting from South Carolina whose car was swept away. Connecticut has also been in the crosshairs of these storms. Governor Ned Lamont says states have to prepare as best they can for what might only get worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. NED LAMONT, CONNECTICUT: These storms are biblical in terms of the torrential rainfall you get, and they're happening more and more frequently. We're looking at the resilience all around the state. What are the places that are most vulnerable? What can we do to prevent this from happening again?

You know, these storms are not only more severe these days, but all the parking lots are everywhere, all the water rushes right in the river and the river overwhelms the roads.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: It has been a mess in the northeast. The storms also put major airports in New York and Boston under ground stops this afternoon, and the conditions have forced airlines to cancel more than 1400 flights nationwide according to FlightAware.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joins us now from New York City, where there was some flash flooding warnings issued earlier in the day.

It's just been a nasty weekend, weather-wise, Polo. And this weather is obviously wreaking havoc on commercial air travel today. What else are you hearing?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For the most part, Jim, New Yorkers will prepare for the worst but it does seem like, at least New York City, spared a bulk of the devastation. Actually devastation, a lot of it really certainly focused on some of the neighboring states including Pennsylvania.

You mentioned that family from Charleston, South Carolina. According to officials there on the ground in eastern Pennsylvania, there was a large family that was actually driving. They're on their way to -- with some friends to a barbecue when floodwaters yesterday began to rise. That family becoming trapped. And unfortunately based on that last update offered by officials just a few moments ago, though the father of the family as well as one of the children miraculously were able to escape, sadly it seems that the mother, grandmother, and at least two other children did not. Swept away by the floodwaters. So far, officials have recovered five individuals that sadly did not make it while the search continues for the remaining folks that were involved in the incident there.

I want you to hear directly from the chief executive of the state of Pennsylvania. He offered an update on that situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D), PENNSYLVANIA: It's just a devastating blow to this Bucks County community that brings us all here today. But I think it's important to note that we are all here today. This is a moment that calls on all of us to come together, to lift up Upper Makefield, in the Bucks County community, and that is exactly what we are doing.

On behalf of more than 13 million Pennsylvanians, I want Bucks County to know that we are here with you. We are praying with you. And we will continue to do everything in our power to lift you up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: It's Pennsylvania's governor there with the latest on what has just been a long list of weather-related tragedies that we have witnessed throughout the country. Just this week alone, we've seen obviously intense heat out west and then certainly flood incidents that have taken place throughout the northeast.

In terms of the travel, Jim, you mentioned that a little while ago. We have seen delays, cancellations, even ground stops at airports like New York's JFK and Boston as well. We certainly hope that as that weather begins to dissipate eventually that this situation will get better. But sadly for at least one family in Pennsylvania, they've already experienced a tremendous and irreversible loss.

ACOSTA: Yes. Just a horrible situation. All right. Another reminder for everybody, please stay safe when these flash floods happen. Do not try to go through roads that have been covered with water. It is just so dangerous.

All right, Polo Sandoval, thank you very much.

And with all this heat, you would think that a nice jump in the ocean might offer some relief, but that has not been the case in Florida, where offshore water temperatures are in the mid-90s in some places right now.

CNN's Brandon Miller has more on this marine heat wave.

BRANDON MILLER, CNN SENIOR METEOROLOGIST: Jim, you know, we've talked a lot this weekend about the heat alerts, most of them out west. The excessive heat and records everywhere. But I want to focus this one right now on South Florida, where we've had heat advisories in place for seemingly forever. But this morning, for the first time the Miami Forecast Office, the National Weather Service, issued its first excessive heat warning.

This means the heat in the seas are climbing even higher. Multiple hours they're expecting them to go above 110 degrees. And this heat index has climbed over 100 every day since June 11th. 36 consecutive days. That is a record, and we see that continuing for the foreseeable future. What is that doing to the ocean water? It is baking it. These are the temperatures yesterday, hotter than they've ever been the past week here in South Florida, 95, 96 degrees.

[18:10:08]

You know, we do, we talk about ocean temperatures being warm as bath water, this is really getting as warm as hot tub water. And it's not just there in South Florida. The entire gulf here, three to six degrees above average in parts. Here in South Florida is the hottest, but the whole thing is well above average where it should be this time of year, at record levels. That's bad news for marine life. It's bad news for coral reefs, we know. And it's really going to be bad news if we get a tropical storm or hurricane to move over these record hot waters. They will be able to explosively intensify -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Thank you very much for that.

Those temperatures have all sorts of ramifications for marine ecosystems as warming oceans continue to take their toll all around the world.

Andrew Baker is a professor of marine biology at the University of Miami, where he directs the Coral Reef Futures Lab. He joins us now from Magnetic Island off the coast of Australia.

Andrew, I have to say first of all this might be one of the most exotic locales that we've gone to somebody live for an interview, although it looks like you're at a conference room right now, not too exotic behind you but we know you have to get inside to do a live shot like this.

But let me just ask you what Brandon was just saying a few moments ago about these water temperatures and what they've been like in the Florida Keys. Temperatures in the mid-90s, as he was describing a few moments ago, that's not bathtub water. That's getting close to hot tub water. What does that mean for life along the Florida Keys when you see that kind of activity going on, those kinds of water temperatures?

ANDREW BAKER, PROFESSOR, MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: Yes. Thanks, Jim. These temperatures are really unprecedented. We haven't seen temperatures like this, this warm, this early in the summer season forever really. And so corals are very sensitive to these high temperatures, and when these high temperatures maintain this kind of level for this long, they turn white in a process we call coral bleaching. And that process is exactly what's starting to happen now throughout the Florida Keys.

ACOSTA: Yes. And I want to talk about what is going to happen with coral reefs in that area. It's an important part of the ecosystem. But as we're heading into the heart of hurricane season, what is going to be the impact, do you think, if we continue to see these kinds of water temperatures? I mean, I've covered a number of hurricanes over the years, and one of the things that I know meteorologists get very concerned about is when the temperatures in the gulf get very hot because they have the potential to kind of supercharge tropical storms and hurricanes that get into the gulf.

If we're talking about temperatures along the Florida Keys in the mid- 90s in the water, it seems to me that you're starting to see that kind of -- those kinds of elements coming together that could cause some major problems as we're trying to get through this hurricane season.

BAKER: Well, it's kind of ironic. Although high temperatures are really bad news for coral reefs, actually the formation of a hurricane during this time of year could actually benefit corals because it would have the effect of slightly cooling down the water in the area. And so actually although no one wishes for a hurricane, I think from the coral perspective, a hurricane coming over the Florida Keys would actually have the beneficial effect of cooling the waters down.

You know, this kind of coral bleaching episode that we are seeing, we've expected this for a long time. Coral reefs are highly threatened by climate change and by high temperature stress, and scientists have been warning for really decades now that the kinds of impacts that we see from a warming planet will be experienced by these kinds of severe marine heat waves. And so what we really need to do is use this event to try to better understand just how corals respond to warming, figure out ways that we can help protect them from warming, and potentially take action to build reefs back that are going to be more resilient to this.

And I think just recently there's been a flurry of interest in the value of coral reefs in protecting our coastlines from storms and from other things that are going to get worse from climate change. And so I think there's a tremendous recognition right now that if we can protect coral reefs and we can use them to help build our coastline protection, then if we can also engineer corals to become more thermally tolerant, then we can sort of reap the double benefit of natural protection of our coastlines and all of the tremendous ecosystem level benefits that corals provide us with.

You know, the economy of South Florida really depends on healthy coral ecosystems. They support commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, and also are just homes to tremendous amounts of biodiversity. They're sort of the marine equivalence of tropical rainforests and they're home to more species of marine biodiversity than really anywhere else.

[18:15:02]

ACOSTA: You're absolutely right, and they're just such a beautiful part of our ecosystem, too. We're showing some images of the coral reefs right now. And you just hit the nail on the head there with what these ecosystems are dealing with.

Andrew Baker, thank you very much for your time. We really appreciate it.

All right. In the meantime, as always, voter turnout will be the key in the 2024 election for both parties. Next, we'll talk live with someone who's had some success getting out the vote in the state of Wisconsin. There's the chair of Wisconsin's Democratic Party. We'll talk to him in just a few moments.

Later, the person said to be Rupert Murdoch's choice for president. Here's a hint. It's not Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. We'll talk about that. Plus, Messi mania in Miami. It shifts into high gear tonight when the city's MLS Club introduces Lionel Messi, the man many consider the world's greatest soccer player. We'll talk about that. That's coming up as well.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:04]

ACOSTA: Democrats defied expectations during last year's midterms, but a new report says they should be concerned about what may lie ahead in 2024. New data from the Pew Research Center found that Republican turnout last November was stronger than Democrats. The GOP energized key groups including women and Latinos that they'll need to retake the White House next year.

And joining us now to talk about this is the chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Ben Wikler, who has had some success in his state in electing Democrats.

Ben, great to see you. Let me just ask you because it seems maybe a little counterintuitive to be asking this question on what these Pew findings show us because Democrats did a lot better than expected in the 2022 midterms. But Pew did find that people who voted in the past elections but sat out midterms were overwhelmingly Democrats and that the Republicans did do fairly well in terms of 2022 midterm turnout. Did you pick up on this? What is your sense of that?

BEN WIKLER, CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN: Well, I think the biggest thing is anyone who doesn't think that 2024 will be hold-your- breath close should have their head examined. We are in a nationwide kind of stalemate political situation where the margins are incredibly small, especially in the states that wind up tipping the White House, the electoral college, the Senate, the House majority. States like Wisconsin, my own state.

So I think the midterm voter level data point to a very tight election next time. At the same time, the fact that we won in the governor's race in Wisconsin within a point of the Senate race here, we won in Pennsylvania, in Arizona, in Michigan, these key battleground states, I think underscores that it's not just who votes. It's also who they vote for. And there is a persuasion effect, especially from issues like abortion that moved voters that were on the bubble from the Republican column into the Democratic column last cycle and could again in 2024.

ACOSTA: So nationally the turnout data could show certain things, but you're right, state by state in some of these key states, it was a very big Democratic turnout that made the difference in a lot of key races.

Let me ask you, because you just mentioned a few moments ago that it's going to be razor-thin and anybody who thinks otherwise should have their head examined. Speaking of that, what do you make of this movement by the organization No Labels? They seem to be moving in the direction of fielding a third-party candidate. Apparently tomorrow up in New Hampshire, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is going to be appearing at this event. He has not ruled out running for president in 2024 even though obviously that would hurt the incumbent Democrat, Joe Biden. What is your sense of it? Could the No Labels candidacy, if they field

one, hurt Democrats, and is that something your party should be worried about?

WIKLER: You know, if you peel off the No Labels label, from the labels -- you see the Trump campaign logo underneath. The best way to think about No Labels is a kind of desperate gambit. A desperate gambit funded by mega Republican super donors and a handful of I think misguided but maybe well-intentioned people that will ultimately just pull voters away from Biden and open a path for Donald Trump.

And that's why they're not actually finding traction among grassroots activists, among really anyone except a small circle of mega-donors on the right. That is a real issue, I think, for them and really belies their branding.

ACOSTA: And Trump, who has thrown cold water on showing up to any of these Republican debates, is defending President Biden on this same question surprisingly. In an interview with FOX, he said Biden shouldn't have to face off with RFK Jr. Let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand why he doesn't want to do it. I mean I truly understand why he doesn't want to do it. I mean, I don't think RFK expects that he's going to be debating. He's a very smart guy by the way. I don't think he expects to be debating Biden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: You know, Ben, I'm just wondering, you know, obviously I assume you're going to say that the president should not debate RFK Jr., but what should the Democratic Party do about this? I mean, just this past weekend, it came out that RFK Jr. has been again floating bizarre conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and vaccines and so on. But yet he polls a significant -- not a significant percentage but enough I suppose that would might make some Democrats nervous. What should the party do about RFK Jr., do you think?

WIKLER: I mean Jewish members of my family died of COVID, so I found RFK Jr.'s remarks absolutely beyond the pale and unacceptable. And he frankly has no place in the public discourse at this moment. He's voicing extreme divisive conspiracy theories that hurt people, and I don't think that really anyone should be giving him the time of day. He's not running a political campaign. He's running a disinformation campaign.

[18:25:05]

ACOSTA: And what is it going to be in 2024, the overarching issue for the Democratic Party? In 2022, it was abortion rights in many races. And in your state of Wisconsin, it affected the state Supreme Court in a key race there. Is that going to be the same issue next time around, or is it going to be stopping Trump, do you think? WIKLER: If there's a single issue, it's whether we should have a

national abortion ban in place. And that's a question that will be decided by the House races, the Senate races, and the presidential race. Stopping Trump is absolutely critical to all of that and to these questions of whether we'll actually make things in America and invest in a clean energy economy that works for everyone.

There are many issues on the table, but if there's one thing that takes voters who might have voted Republican in the past but now need to strike a blow for personal freedom for their own control of their own bodies, it's this question of abortion. We saw it in Wisconsin in the spring of 2023. Our Supreme Court race. I think we'll see it nationwide in 2024.

ACOSTA: All right. Ben Wikler, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it. Great conversation. We'll see you next time.

WIKLER: Thank you. Appreciate it.

ACOSTA: All right. Thank you. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:30:42]

ACOSTA: It took five thrilling sets for a winner to emerge in Wimbledon's Men's Singles Tennis Final. In the end Spain's 20-year-old phenom Carlos Alcaraz won his second grand slam title, defeating four- time defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Let's get right to CNN's Patrick Snell.

Patrick, it's already being called one of the great finals of all time. Carlos can play.

PATRICK SNELL: He can play, and he did, Jim, yes. It was an epic, a five-set thriller. And the way this match started, Jim, you know, Carlos Alcaraz lost that first set in barely half an hour. It looked like the writing was on the wall for him. But, boy, did he respond. A huge statement of intent.

Look what was on the line for Djokovic, Jim. He was going for a fifth straight title at the All England Club. A record equaling 24th grand slam title. An eighth men's single title here in total at Wimbledon. So much on the line. But clearly the youngster from Murcia, Spain had not read the script one little bit.

Now, he is the reigning U.S. Open champion, I will say, so he has class. He has pedigree. But, Jim, I tell you what. He has ended now a decade of Djokovic dominance at the All England Club in SW-19.

Let's hear now from that man, Alcaraz, speaking earlier on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLOS ALCARAZ, WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: I'm really proud of myself, you know, in the submission run, you know, making history in this beautiful tournament. You know, playing a final against a legend for our sport. It's unbelievable. You inspire me a lot. You know, I started playing tennis watching you. I mean --

(LAUGHTER)

ALCARAZ: Since I was born, you know, you --

(LAUGHTER)

ALCARAZ: You're already was winning tournaments. You know, it's amazing. Probably you're in very good shape than me. You just said that 36 is the new 26, and you made that happen in real. But, you know, it's amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: Wonderful sound from that man, Alcaraz. And this is an iconic moment, I tell you, Jim, in his young and storied career already. You get to -- I've been there at Wimbledon over the years. I've been right there as the champion holds it aloft. It's magnificent to be a part of.

Jim, it's incredible. A few weeks ago, Carlos Alcaraz was still a teenager. Now he's a two-time grand slam champ and winning Wimbledon for the first time. Look at that mass of people down there. Those are incredible scenes, and they come once a year at the All England Club. For now, the reigning men's champion, Carlos Alcaraz -- Jim.

ACOSTA: I mean what a star. A star has been born, beating Djokovic like that. And later tonight, soccer superstar Lionel Messi gets his official unveiling as an Inter Miami player. They cannot wait down in Miami. That's what they're talking about. The town is abuzz with talk of Messi.

SNELL: Oh, yes. Star power all the way. Incredible scenes. Lionel Messi, you know, Jim, it didn't seem real for a good few months as the speculation continued to unfold. And it wasn't really until yesterday before Major League Soccer actually confirming that he is now officially an Inter Miami player. This is a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner. For many, he is the greatest footballer to have ever played the sport.

He won the World Cup late last year with his beloved Argentina. And he is going to revolutionize the sport. Some people say he's past his best. I don't necessarily subscribe to that. He is absolutely a legend of the sport. Look at this video. This is one icon, Jim, meeting another. David Beckham, he's one of the co-owners of Inter Miami and responsible in a big, big way for bringing Lionel Messi to South Beach in Miami there.

Historic scenes. The big official presentation coming up in just under an hour and a half from right now. Hoping the weather cooperates -- Jim.

ACOSTA: They're going to be going absolutely crazy for that. All right, Patrick Snell. Thanks so much. Can't wait to see that happen.

Let's get back to tennis. Let's discuss the Wimbledon outcome with ESPN commentator Rennae Stubbs. She's a six-time grand slam champion and the host of the "Power Hour" on Amazon Prime Video Sports.

[18:35:05]

Rennae, great to see you. I mean, so the prodigy finally dethroned the master. I mean it was just wild to watch. But I'm also curious what you thought of what Alcaraz was saying there just a few moments ago. We were playing some of that sounds. He's very deferential to Djokovic. Not only an incredible tennis player obviously but appears to be a really nice young Spaniard kid who happens to be a very good sport.

RENNAE STUBBS, 6-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: I cannot tell you. I've had the pleasure of interviewing him a couple of times, and obviously seeing him around the tennis courts so much, he is the nicest guy you could ever possibly meet. He says hello to everyone, whether it be the security guards or the kids that come and watch him play, or people that ask him for autographs.

There's not a person that he doesn't walk by and say hello to whether it be in the morning, after his matches. It doesn't matter. Honestly, he's so good for tennis, and of course his tennis speaks for itself. It was absolutely -- I was there in Centre Court today watching the match live.

ACOSTA: Wow.

STUBBS: And it was just incredible. The atmosphere was unbelievable. It was like a football match in there. It was incredible. It was amazing.

ACOSTA: I was going to say the scenes, the pictures that we're showing are absolutely amazing. And maybe this happens every time at Wimbledon, but it looks like there's some pandemonium happening there. But let's break down the match. The world's number one, number two men's tennis players tied after four sets. Comes down to a decisive fifth set. And at just 20 years old, again we go back to that, Alcaraz, I mean, he just out -- did he out-hustle Djokovic? What happened?

STUBBS: You know, I think for the first time in a long time, we saw that Novak Djokovic is actually human. There was one particular point in this match -- well, first of all, the second tie break could have gone either way. And really that was sort of the catalyst for the match to turn around because the first set was so easy for Novak, and then Novak hasn't lost -- I feel like he hasn't lost a tie break in about five years.

It's been so long. And he didn't play a great tie break. He made a few unforced errors that we're not used to seeing. And then there was one point in the fifth set, to me, that changed the entire match. It was breakpoint for Novak Djokovic to go up two games to love in the fifth set after he won the fourth set. He had all the momentum, and it looked like to me that Alcaraz was sort of looking at history saying, well, this is the way it goes kind of thing.

And Novak missed a very easy swing volley to go up to love, and instead Carlos held on to his serve to go one all on the fifth, and then Carlos broke him immediately after that to go up 2-1. So for me, that one mistake from Novak proved that he's human, and I think that Alcaraz really saw that for the first time himself and thought, wow, he's human as well. And as a player, you sort of sense those things. And I sensed it when I was watching it, and I thought that could be the difference maker in this match, and it was.

ACOSTA: Right. And just very quickly, I mean, Alcaraz won the U.S. Open. He wins Wimbledon. Djokovic obviously is getting a little older. Alcaraz made mention of that. Does Alcaraz have what it takes to become one of the greats, to be considered in the same category as a Federer or a Djokovic? I'm sure it's too early to tell, but what do you think?

STUBBS: Yes. Listen, so much of it, my friend, comes down to staying healthy. And, you know, if he can take the Novak Djokovic way of handling his body and taking care of himself, he absolutely can win upwards of 20 grand slams. He's already said to people out loud that he wants to be the greatest of all time. So that means he has to win at least 23 grand slams.

ACOSTA: Wow.

STUBBS: So he's an unbelievable tennis player. He's great for the game. He's 20 years of age, and he's already won two grand slams. He's the youngest ever number one ranked tennis player that we've ever had on the tour. So, yes, certainly the future is very bright for this young man, but he must stay healthy.

ACOSTA: All right. Very good. Rennae Stubbs, great to talk to you as always, my friend. Thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

STUBBS: Great to see you, Jim. Bye.

ACOSTA: All right. Take care.

FOX chairman Rupert Murdoch is said to have made his choice for president. It's not Donald Trump. It's not Ron DeSantis. We'll tell you who that is next live here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:43:13]

ACOSTA: There are new reports that Rupert Murdoch and his FOX network may be less friendly to a Ron DeSantis bid. Initially Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was seen as the candidate who could beat Donald Trump. But now according to "The New York Times," quote, "Mr. Murdoch has privately told people that he would still like to see Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia enter the race according to a person with knowledge of the remarks."

I should note here Governor Youngkin has publicly said he has no intention of jumping into the 2024 presidential race.

Let's bring in CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy.

And Oliver, I mean, it sounds like FOX News, Murdoch, they have not learned their lesson from that massive Dominion lawsuit. Here you have Murdoch once again wanting to meddle in Republican politics.

OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim. Rupert Murdoch has always been a kingmaker in GOP politics. So I guess it's not too surprising that he's still trying to play that role. I think what's interesting to note is as the conservative media universe has really grown in the last 10, 15 years, his influence has started to slip. And I think you're seeing that right now.

He wants to stop Trump. We know he doesn't like Trump. He privately disparages Trump. But he seems unable and powerless to do so. First he after the 2020 election tried to throw his weight behind DeSantis and spotlight DeSantis while basically sidelining and ignoring Trump, and that really hasn't worked. You've seen DeSantis' campaign still fail to really be able to take on Trump. And so now I think he's looking at other options, maybe thinking Youngkin can do it.

But the bottom line is that while he still is influential in conservative politics, he may not be as influential at this moment as Donald Trump.

ACOSTA: And let me ask you about this other story that popped up this past week. Arizona man, Trump supporter who conspiracy theorists falsely claim led a covert FBI plot to orchestrate the January 6th attack on the Capitol, filed a lawsuit this past week against FOX and former FOX host Tucker Carlson, who we should note was hosting this forum out in Iowa, candidate forum out in Iowa over the last few days.

[18:45:18]

But getting back to this lawsuit, what is this person claiming, Epps?

DARCY: What's so interesting, Jim, about this lawsuit is Ray Epps, who is suing FOX News, says he was at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th because he was a FOX News viewer. He was someone who watched the channel and was misled by the false election claims being made on FOX News in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

So he went to the Capitol to protest, and afterward he found himself being defamed by Tucker Carlson on the channel and basically being drawn into this conspiracy theory that he was one of the people purportedly working with the federal government to incite rioters to attack the Capitol. This is all part of Tucker Carlson's false flag conspiracy theory.

Anyway, so now he is suing the network. He demanded a retraction. FOX News never did that, and it's just adding to the legal mess that the network has had to deal with for all the nonsense it peddled to viewers in the aftermath of the election.

ACOSTA: And speaking of that nonsense and the person you just mentioned, Tucker Carlson, he was out there in Iowa hosting a candidate forum for major Republican candidates. Donald Trump was not there, but it does also say that FOX still has a lot of influence inside the Republican Party, whether Tucker Carlson is still employed by FOX or not.

DARCY: Definitely, Jim. And I think this is Tucker Carlson actually trying to continue to have that influence he'd had when he was on that FOX News primetime perch, interviewing candidates, really allowing him to whip them toward his narrative. We'll see whether Tucker Carlson, without FOX News, can continue to, you know, exert influence over the GOP in the same way.

I think that remains to be seen. But clearly out in Iowa, he was able to get these presidential candidates to come up on stage and answer questions from him.

ACOSTA: Right, including Mike Pence, which was a sight to behold considering everything the former vice president was dealing with on January 6th.

All right, Oliver Darcy, thanks very much. Always good to talk to you. We appreciate it. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:51:57]

ACOSTA: The new CNN Original Series, "SEE IT LOUD: THE HISTORY OF BLACK TELEVISION," celebrates creators who brought black TV to life and looks at its impact on American culture. This week a look at comedy in the black community and the special role it's played in television. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your biggest superstars in comedy have been black.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This Chappelle Show redefines sketch comedy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Living Colors" set up a platform for black comedians blowing up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Richard Pryor Show" was ahead of its time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could watch Arsenio Hall every night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Adele Givens, Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Def Comedy Jam was a black comic's paradise.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Laughter is healing. Laughter purifies the air.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And CNN's senior entertainment writer Lisa Respers France joins us now. Lisa, as we saw in that clip, some of the biggest names in TV comedy

have been black comedians, Red Fox, Rich Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle. The list goes on and on. Why has comedy been such a successful way to make a mark in television?

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, SENIOR WRITER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT: Because historically black performers have faced all types of barriers getting taken seriously in Hollywood. So they had to use comedy as a way to even get into the industry. If you can make people laugh, if you can tickle their funny bone, then you can get people's attention. And that's what unfortunately a lot of stars in the past and some stars today have had to do in order to break into the business.

ACOSTA: And who's breaking ground in TV today? Who do you have your eyes on?

FRANCE: Well, you know, it's funny because there's so many. I don't want to start naming names because I don't want people to flame me on social media.

ACOSTA: Yes.

FRANCE: But, you know, I mean Robin Thede's "Black Lady Sketch Show," you know, you see lots of the new generation on there. Nick Cannon's "Wild 'n Out." There are plenty of performers on that show that also remind us of how important black comedy is and how very much important it is for us to pay attention to black lives in terms of their sharing jokes and stories, and basically reflecting black culture because black culture is American culture. It's extremely influential.

So by, you know, making us laugh, they're also able to talk about race. They're able to talk about history. They're able to talk about politics in a way that people pay more attention to. And that's one of the reasons why I love this series because it really drills down not just the history but also what's going on currently in terms of comedy and black comedians.

ACOSTA: Yes, and this episode tonight looks like it's just going to be a lot of fun.

Lisa Respers France, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

FRANCE: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Yes, thank you.

And don't miss tonight's new episode of the CNN Original Series "SEE IT LOUD: THE HISTORY OF BLACK TELEVISION" at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

Fitness is an essential element for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This week's CNN Hero is a dad whose daughter has cerebral palsy, and he's made it his mission to get people like her moving. Meet John Watson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN WATSON, CNN HERO: We want to lead people to a lifetime of fitness. Safety is first, but we want them to have fun.

[18:55:02]

We want them to want to do it.

There you go. I love it.

When we connect with them on that level, they'll show up to exercise.

Give yourself a hand. You worked hard. That's good.

We do Pilates, yoga, dance. We have a wide range of abilities. Somebody that may have limited movement, we specifically try to get them to move to how they can.

We all want to be part of something. They just don't get the opportunity that often. We create a sense of pride, belonging, and love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And to see John's full story and nominate your own CNN Hero, go to CNNheroes.com right now.

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