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Authorities Release Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Amid Search For New Leads; Trump's Battle To Get Todd Blanche Confirmed Intensifies; Democratic Primary In Key Battleground State Of Michigan; Key Focus On Tuesday's Democratic Senate Primary In Michigan; The Rise Of Swearing In Politics; Guthrie Ransome Notes Made Public In Hunt for New Leads. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired August 01, 2026 - 19:00   ET

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

CHRIS WARREN, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We'll see that smoke settle back in throughout parts of the Columbia basin and a lot of the valleys here and much of the eastern Oregon, in the high desert. Temperatures throughout the day are going to be into the 70s to the west of the Cascades, 70s and even some 80s east, but much more yellow showing up in the Pacific northwest by Monday. And still you can see baking in the southwest and even warmer west of the Cascades now in the Pacific northwest.

So it is the heart of summer and certainly feeling the heat. And it does remain dangerous heat throughout much of the southwest. And we're starting to see more of that. Some moderate heat risk throughout parts of western Washington and western Oregon.

BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: All right, Chris Warren, thank you.

The next hour of NEWSROOM starts right now.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Brian Abel in Atlanta.

Tonight, the new twist in the desperate search for Nancy Guthrie. It's been six months now to the day since she disappeared. And the Pima County sheriff is giving a rare update on the state of the investigation. He promised that the case remains, quote, "very active" and explained the massive step investigators took yesterday by releasing the full contents of two ransom notes sent to the family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF CHRIS NANOS, PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA: We hope that by releasing some of this information, it will jog somebody to think about what -- a lot of people have called us with information. But we also know a lot of people are hesitant, hesitant to do so. And so I hope that by constantly reminding the public we're here, we're not going anywhere. If you have information, someone knows who this person is. Someone knows something. We want that person to call us. We need that phone call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: And earlier this morning "Today Show" host Savannah Guthrie released another painful plea for information about her mom, saying, quote, "We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes. There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing."

CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on the disturbing details inside these newly released notes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: First note that was sent to the Guthrie family through various media outlets started off by saying, "We have your mother," and then laid out a schedule of ransom demands and then saying that she would be killed if these payments weren't made within seven days. The writer goes on to tell the Guthrie family not to play games. Your mother is aware, essentially, that her life is on the line here, and that her life is in the hands of the Guthrie family.

Now, that note was sent on February 2nd, the day after Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home in Tucson. If you remember on the timeline here, it was two days later that Savannah Guthrie and her brother and sister put out the first Instagram video where they essentially addressed the author of this note directly, saying that we are ready to talk and asked in that note -- in that video for a proof of life of their mother.

Then several days later, they get a second note. And in that note, the writer says that we did not fully grasp the seriousness of her physical condition. We never intended to hurt her. That was not our intention. She perished shortly after she was taken and that she is buried in nature now. That note was sent just on February 6th. And then it was on February 7th that Savannah Guthrie and her brother and sister put out another Instagram video saying, "We received your message and we understand."

Now it has been more than six months since Nancy Guthrie was taken from her home. And Pima County authorities, as well as the FBI, say that the reason they're putting out the text of these notes, which have been kept kind of very tight to investigative circles over these last few months, is that they are hoping that the public will read them, maybe notice a pattern in verbal syntax, the writing style, the way this person is communicating to determine whether or not that might be able to help them or help someone identify who the culprits are in this crime.

But of course, we don't know if this was written by someone or multiple people, or if this might have been written by artificial intelligence, and it would be very hard to kind of detect those patterns. But because of that, authorities at this point are saying that they're hoping that the public will take a closer look at all of this and see if they notice any patterns in the hopes that it will lead them to who Nancy Guthrie's abductors might be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: Ed Lavandera reporting there.

Retired FBI profiler, Candice DeLong, is joining us now to discuss all this further.

And, Candice, these new ransom notes, what stands out to you? And have you seen anything like this in your, what, 20 plus year career?

[19:05:04]

CANDICE DELONG, RETIRED FBI PROFILER: A few things stand out. And yes, I have seen something similar from someone that turned out to be a serial killer, Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, communicating with the "New York Times" and the "Washington Post," and his communication started out with, we are a group known to the FBI as Unabomber. There was no we. It was just him.

I think the references in the letters, we, us, our, are smoke screen. That impressed me that way. Also, the sophistication, the vocabulary, the perfect grammar that these notes are written in are the total opposite of how the crime was committed. The kidnaping was bungled. There was possibly an injury because there was blood outside on the patio, and she died that night. They used the word perished.

Everything about those letters is the opposite of how things happen. So I think the possibility that they were written by A.I. is very likely.

ABEL: OK. So in one of those notes, whoever wrote it, apologizes for Nancy Guthrie's passing. As a former profiler, what does that tell you about whoever is behind the notes being the alleged kidnapers?

DELONG: Well, I think they're sorry that things didn't go their way. It appears to me the tone, the first letter is very dictatorial, laying out the demands. We have your mother, we want this amount of money. Don't fool around. We want four million in bitcoin. And it's important to remember that letter was probably written, if it's true she died that night, the night of the abduction, then that letter, the first demand for money was written after the kidnaper knew she had perished.

And then the second one has a vastly different tone. We're sorry. We didn't know about her health. What do you mean you didn't know about her health? She's an 84-year-old woman. You knew about her health. A healthy 84-year-old with no heart disease might have had a heart attack being taken out of their home and in the middle of the night.

The second letter looks to me like they're trying to make themselves present as being, we feel bad. I feel bad. This wasn't supposed to happen. She's with nature now. It looks like they're trying to set up a defense for if they're caught and make themselves look sympathetic, like, oops, this was such an accident. When in fact, they set into motion a series of events that resulted in her death.

ABEL: So I did find it curious here that the second note, it does not demand ransom in return for her body. If the kidnapers originally just wanted that, just wanted ransom, what's stopping them from anonymously telling authorities where the body is and collecting that ransom?

DELONG: I thought about that, too. In fact, the first thing I thought when this was --

ABEL: A reward rather, excuse me.

DELONG: -- ongoing back in February, when it was ongoing back in February, was that if Nancy did not survive the abduction, that they would essentially say, well, what the heck, let's go for the money anyway. But they didn't do that. Maybe they got scared. That's one question I would certainly ask them when they are apprehended or when he is apprehended.

ABEL: OK. We have about a minute left and I want to ask you, so investigators, which I imagine include profilers, have been holding on to these notes for the last six months. What have they been doing? What have they been looking for when looking at these ransom notes? And how do investigators determine that they're real and from the same suspects?

DELONG: Well, that is a part of forensics that I'm not as familiar with as the behavioral aspect of a criminal behavior, but I can imagine they were doing a lot of computer work comparing -- putting the information, all the data, both of these notes into computers and looking for similarities, all kinds of things like that. But forensically regarding computer forensics, not my thing.

[19:10:14]

ABEL: Sure. But would you take away anything from just seeing them? Just on the surface of who might be behind it, what kind of person they are?

DELONG: Well, I -- like I said, I think the video that night that was captured on the door cam looked to me like somebody that was bungling. They didn't even know how to disable the camera with a flashlight so that their image wouldn't be caught on it, but you could find that out from Googling it. And then these notes show up that are rather sophisticated, well-written, perfect grammar.

Who says perished instead of died? Somebody with a pretty high level of education and sophistication. They don't match. So in answer to your question, I think the person responsible for taking her also responsible for her death, is not some -- definitely not the same person that wrote those notes. They're either A.I. or they got somebody to write the notes for them.

ABEL: All right. Candice DeLong, I'm sure, as you do, we hope that this case gets figured out soon. Thank you.

DELONG: It will, it will.

ABEL: I hope so.

Still ahead, President Trump facing a growing feud with members of his own party as he reignites a heated debate over his weaponization fund. What that means for the nomination of Todd Blanche as attorney general. And Europe calling foul over FIFA's plans to turn the World Cup over to private investors. More on the European boycott ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:16:34]

ABEL: New tonight, President Trump's battle with the Senate over trying to get Todd Blanche confirmed as attorney general is intensifying. Trump now threatening to revive the $1.8 billion so- called Anti-Weaponization Fund if he can't get Blanche confirmed.

Blanche's confirmation was delayed earlier this week over disputes the president has with outgoing GOP Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. They want written confirmation that the Justice Department will not resurrect the fund along with commitments about tax investigations.

CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us again now.

And, Julia, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to consider Blanche's nomination early next week. Now how is this expected to go?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's unclear how Trump thinks that he would have the votes needed to codify this fund if he doesn't have the votes needed for Blanche's nomination. And as of right now, he still does not have those votes.

We did reach out to the White House for more details, more insight onto the president's thinking here. But he posted earlier today and seemed to put this controversial $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund back on the table.

I want to pull up that post for you now. In this, Trump said that he would work to get that fund passed into law, writing that if he doesn't get the support needed to approve Blanche, that he will keep him as acting attorney general and, quote, "push hard to get the Anti- Weaponization Fund passed."

That fund has been at the center of resistance to Blanche's nomination as Republican senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have indicated that they will withhold their needed votes unless they get written assurances that this fund won't be resurrected. And as recent as just yesterday, during the Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump himself said that he believed the fund was dead. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you agree with the acting attorney general that the Anti-Weaponization Fund is dead? And why not just put that in writing?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, it is dead. But, you know, I wish it weren't, to be honest with you. I think people were horribly treated, horribly abused. This has nothing to do with Todd. This was me. Horribly abused. And I'd like to see them compensated for the pain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: So that's what he said yesterday. Today he says that he will fight for this fund if Blanche is not confirmed. Tillis is responding to these most recent Trump comments in a post on social media, saying essentially that this doesn't get them where they need to be, writing, quote, "Despite comments as late as yesterday that the fund is dead, President Trump clearly intends to resurrect the payout pot for punks, either by inappropriately establishing another bogus fund or pushing Congress to vote for a bill that the majority of Republicans in the Senate would be against."

Tillis added that he believes that Blanche is qualified for this job, but that the reversal will not get him confirmed. And he added that he hopes that this can be taken care of, resolved by Tuesday. That's when the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a meeting for a potential vote on Blanche's nomination -- Brian.

ABEL: And I imagine there will be a few calls between President Trump and congressional leaders between now and then.

[19:20:01]

Julia Benbrook, appreciate you as always. Thank you.

Coming up, Democrats in Michigan preparing to head to the polls in one of the most contentious primaries of the year. We'll break down where things stand between Democratic progressive Abdul El-Sayed and centrist Haley Stevens.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ABEL: We are just days away from a critical Senate primary race. On Tuesday Democrats in the battleground of my home state of Michigan will pick between establishment backed Congresswoman Haley Stevens and progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed. The race has turned into a battle over the future of the Democratic Party.

[19:25:05]

I spoke to outgoing Democratic Senator Gary Peters earlier tonight. It's his seat that's up for grabs. Here's what he said about what's at stake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. GARY PETERS (D-MI): We have a real shot to take the majority in the United States Senate, something that we didn't necessarily think was going to happen a few months ago. But it's real right now. But that doesn't happen if we lose Michigan. So Michigan is certainly the center, as you say, the center of the political universe right now, and through election day in the general election in November,

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: And CNN senior political analyst and Bloomberg opinion columnist Ron Brownstein is joining me now.

Ron, put this primary race into context for us. You're there on the ground in Detroit. Just how critical will this race be for Democrats come November?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, Brian, it really feels like the culmination of the entire year for Democrats. I mean, this year I think has seen more systematic confrontation in primaries between left and center in Democratic politics than any year I can remember and I've been covering politics since the 1980s. And each side has won some big victories. I mean, the center won the California governor's race, the Iowa Senate race, the left initially won the Maine Senate primary.

But this one kind of feels like where both sides have massed the greatest effort between Haley Stevens on the one hand, the center and the establishment, and Abdul El-Sayed for the progressives. And it does feel as though this is kind of the Battle of the Bulge moment, to use a World War II analogy, where both sides are putting everything they have into this fight. And it matters a lot, as the senator said as well, for the outcome in November.

ABEL: Ron, is there anything in the past in the other side of the aisle to compare this with? Is this similar to the Tea Party movement or the MAGA movement? Is it closer to one than the other? How would you characterize it? Is there a comparison to be made there?

BROWNSTEIN: I think it's similar to both. But what's unusual, I think about what's happening in the Democratic Party this year is just how structural and organized this is. I mean, I do not think there's been anything in the -- really the modern history of the party that compares to the organizational infrastructure that now exists on the left to find, recruit, train, fund, support candidates and ultimately get them on stage with, you know, Elizabeth and Bernie and AOC at the end of the process.

I mean, in the 1980s the Democratic Leadership Council didn't run primaries against the left. The National Committee for an Effective Congress in the '60s and '70s didn't run primaries against the very conservative Democrats from the south. So I think we're seeing kind of an institutionalization of conflict.

And what makes Michigan so important, I think, is that, you know, by and large, not entirely, but by and large, the left's gains this year have come primarily in safe Democratic seats like the New York seats, where Harris won over 70 percent of the vote. And the Mamdani candidates won, or similar in Denver.

What makes Michigan so important and so unique is that really, it really would be the biggest -- an El-Sayed win would be the biggest victory for the left in a place that is going to be competitive in November. And you have a lot of more centrist Democrats, as I think the senator was suggesting, who are worried that El-Sayed would have a much harder road in a general election than Stevens would.

Doesn't mean he can't win in an environment where Trump's disapproval is 60 percent. You really can't say any Democrat can't win, I think, but there's no question that it would be a lot more complicated for him.

ABEL: And Michigan, such a complicated state, right? You have a heavy Jewish population in Oakland County on the east side of the state. You also have a heavy Palestinian community in Dearborn and the surrounding areas. So the confrontations, the conflicts overseas really play a role into this moment as Democrats battle over the direction of their party.

I do want to tell you about this new CNN poll this week that showed most Americans who consider themselves Democrats say the party needs major changes or a complete reform. Do you think the Democratic Party is actually listening to their base when they say they want to see a major change and here's the numbers that they're looking at?

BROWNSTEIN: I think that is more the driving force, Brian, in what we're seeing this year than an ideological move. You know, the -- in that poll, 54 percent of Democrats said the party would be better off moving to the left and 54 percent said they'd be better off moving to the center. But upwards of 80 percent said they would be better off with new leadership and with, as you say, major changes.

I think the Democratic base is more alienated from the party leadership than at any point, really since the Vietnam era. The inability to stop Trump from coming back and the failure to oppose him and slow him down more effectively, especially in the early months of this second term, have really discredited the Democratic leadership, in a way that has opened the door for candidates like El-Sayed and you know, and sort of undermined the arguments from leadership figures that a candidate like that would have more trouble getting elected.

[19:30:14]

I think their credibility on that issue has really diminished for a lot of Democrats.

Of course, the conundrum for Democrats is that it is probably true. Not that El-Sayed can't win, but it might be a lot more complicated for him, given some of the very left positions that he has taken.

You see, the Democratic Party here dividing in the same way we've seen a lot of these states where even though the Bernie Sanders-style candidates are positioning themselves as economic populists, they are relying more on college graduates and young people. Stevens is relying more on older voters, non-college Whites, and especially Black voters.

And, you know, piecing that together, no matter which side wins, is not going to be easy for Democrats after Tuesday.

ABEL: Well, Ron, I know that you're talking from experience after talking to voters. We are talking before you ventured out into Corktown last night. So I know you're out there talking with everybody and getting their feedback, and I guess we will find out more come Tuesday.

Ron Brownstein, thank you.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

ABEL: Tomorrow night on "The Whole Story," senior correspondent, Donie O'Sullivan travels across America looking at the surging power of progressives as they battle for the future of the Democratic Party. Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Hogg and Piker are now part of an insurgency.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Hogg has pledged to spend millions funding primary challenges to what he calls asleep at the wheel Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hasan Piker, who, to quote POLITICO, "is driving a wedge in the Democratic Party."

O'SULLIVAN: An insurgency against centrist Democrats. One that is challenging party norms.

JONATHAN LEMIRE, MS NOW: These races do seem representative of this real struggle the party is going through right now post 2024.

O'SULLIVAN: And energizing young voters.

BRAD LANDER (D), NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Abolish ICE, Free Palestine and tax the (bleep) rich!

O'SULLIVAN: An insurgency that hopes to spark a revolution in the Democratic Party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: And be sure to tune in, a new hour of "The Whole Story" with Anderson Cooper. It airs tomorrow night at 8:00 on CNN and Monday on the CNN app.

Well, recently we've seen some pretty big examples of politicians using some choice words in public. These are words that would have been considered obscene in the past. Is swearing the new normal?

CNN's Harry Enten is joining us now to run the numbers on the rise of profanity in politics.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Hey there, Brian! Happy Saturday to you.

You know, I just have a question. What the freak is going on out there? Or should I say what the freak is going on out there? Because I will tell you, that is about as close as I will get to cursing on national television and that actually distinguishes me from a lot of U.S. politicians, because it turns out they are cursing a lot more.

And I say that because earlier this week, Bernie Moreno, the senator from the great state of Ohio, actually dropped the F-bomb during a session of the United States Senate during a hearing -- during a hearing, he dropped the F-bomb. And you know what? He may not be like me, and there may be a good reason for him not to be like me. because when you curse and you're a sinner, you've got a whole heck of a lot of attention for yourself and your cause.

Take a look here. Okay. Google searches for Bernie Moreno up 850 percent this past week versus the prior week. In fact, more people searched for Bernie Moreno this past week than they had during the rest or any other week during 2026.

Now, when it comes to Bernie Moreno, he is not alone. He is not alone at all. In fact, I think he might be looking for examples of other politicians in even higher offices cursing for him to actually think, hey, this might be a good idea.

Indeed, there was a new study that came out this week, which I kind of think really tells us the direction we are going when it comes to cursing politicians. Take a look here.

Okay. Bernie Moreno is part of a larger panel. Take a look. Swearing from presidential candidates and vice presidents. The presidential candidates include, of course, the presidents themselves. And there was a study that came out that looked at every single senator, excuse me, every single presidential candidate, every single president, every single vice president since 1919 and catalogued how often they were cursing.

Well, it turns out 87 percent -- eighty-seven percent of all of the curses from presidential candidates, presidents, vice presidents, 87 percent of them, they have occurred in the last 10 years. Now, I have to admit, I am not all that surprised about that, right? President Trump has a very wide dictionary, and cursing is definitely part of that dictionary.

But I should note that he is not the only president who or presidential candidate who has in fact been cursing, but I do think he has perhaps set the standard for that, or allowed politicians to actually start cursing and not worry too much from the electorate.

But should they be worried from the electorate? Does cursing actually get you anywhere? Do Americans actually like this?

[19:35:18]

It turns out, maybe not. Maybe not!

Okay, how do people actually feel about cursing? Say that cursing out loud is not acceptable? Not acceptable! Get this, 65 percent of Americans overall, the lions share. Two in three say that cursing out loud is not acceptable. Among senior citizens who are, of course, the most reliable, the most robust turn out bloc in the electorate, 89 percent! Eighty-nine percent of seniors say that cursing out loud is not acceptable.

It seems to me that a lot of these politicians may be a little bit too online, because they seem to be taking lessons from Generation Z, of whom just 38 percent say that cursing out loud is not acceptable.

But I do think that this 38 percent versus this 89 percent may tell us something about the future of cursing in politics and that is, it will be happening a lot more as we go into the future.

And, Brian, I ain't going to end on a curse, but I will just say I am really freaking happy to be here with you, my friend.

Back to you.

ABEL: And I am really freaking happy that you're with us, too. Harry Enten, thank you.

Still to come, the latest twist in European soccer's rejection of FIFA's plan to turn the beautiful game over to private investors.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:41:00]

ABEL: We are back to our top story.

It has been six months to the day that Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today Show" host, Savannah Guthrie was taken from her home. The case, it set off a desperate search, capturing national attention and the Pima County Sheriff says the investigation is still "very active."

This comes after investigators made public the full ransom notes they believe are from the kidnapper or kidnappers. They are asking the public for clues.

Meanwhile, Savannah posting a new plea this morning begging somebody to come forward.

CNN media analyst, Brian Stelter is joining us now.

And Brian, what are authorities trying to achieve by releasing these notes now, six months later?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Right. Remember, the investigators knew about these notes all along. The Guthrie family knew about the contents of the notes all along. And in recent weeks, the notes have been leaking out from crime podcasters and other sources.

So the Sheriff's Department released the full text yesterday, hoping that people will literally read between the lines, look at the language, the way the words are structured, the way the sentences are brought together, that maybe there is something in the text that would provide clues about a suspect or possible suspects.

We also heard today from the Sheriff's County -- the Pima County Sheriff's Department, in a new comment, again tied to that six-month anniversary, saying, "We are here. We are not going anywhere. We are continuing to investigate," and also emphasizing that the Guthrie family members themselves are not suspects.

Some of that nonsense, conspiracy theory stuff has been coming back up online from some of the crime influencers who are trying to continue to stoke conspiracy theories about this case.

So the Sheriff's Department, again refuting that nonsense and reiterating that it needs the public's help to reread those ransom notes, those purported ransom notes, and find out if there is something about those notes that might provide a clue.

ABEL: Well, this morning's post, Brian, by Savannah, it is not her first plea. Right? And here we are six months later and the case hasn't been solved. Nancy has been found. Is there anything to suggest that this morning's post, maybe being coupled with these ransom notes now being public, will have a different effect?

STELTER: Well, I think we've seen in the past, every time Savannah speaks out, there is newfound attention and this does in some ways reregister with the American people.

You know, you can read her note on Instagram, and it is very clear what she is asking for. You know, the Guthrie family at this point just wants to be able to hold a funeral. They want to be able to bury her casket or spread her ashes.

Savannah says, they want to have a celebration of her remarkable life that she so deserves. At this point, it is about finding some form of closure, and I think when Savannah does share that, when she speaks that way from the heart so personally, maybe it does eventually get to the person or the people who would be influenced.

She also reiterated today there is still a $1.2 million reward on the table, Brian, for information leading to a suspect or suspects.

ABEL: And we hope her plea does break through.

We do want to ask you now, Brian, about something completely separate. ABC arguing the FCC was politically retaliating when the agency threatened the company's broadcasting license for eight local television stations.

How unusual was this? And where does everything stand right now?

STELTER: Right! Very much. This is turning into one of the biggest First Amendment fights of Trump's second term. So the Trump-aligned FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered Disney to submit paperwork for early renewals of ABC station licenses, early renewals. That might sound like a good thing, but it is actually a procedural way to punish ABC and maybe take away the licenses.

As you probably know, President Trump has said publicly he wants ABC punished. He wants ABC's licenses revoked. So the FCC this summer opened up a public comment period asking for feedback about the eight stations and this is really interesting.

ABC urged its viewers to write in and the number of comments is overwhelming. More than 150,000 we saw officially this week. We saw the number for the first time, 153,000 public comments.

Now, normally when the FCC asks for public comment, maybe 300, maybe 400, but instead more than 150,000 people, the vast majority were supportive of ABC and these local stations.

Now, I just think it is a really interesting example of the public pushing back against the Trump administration priority, in this case, the Trump administration trying to punish local T.V. stations.

And when the public had a chance to speak out, it did in a big way.

[19:45:27]

Now, ABC says it does expect this legal fight to go forward anyway. But in a new statement, the Disney lawyers said, "There is no question why the FCC is singling us out. It is because the administration has openly and repeatedly called for the revocation of ABC's licenses because it dislikes the content and viewpoints expressed on ABC network programs."

So Disney is saying this is all about the First Amendment and the next step is pretty clear. There could be a lawsuit by Disney to defend its stations in court and push back against the FCC. But I just think it is fascinating in the meantime, how the public rose up in response to this FCC threat.

ABEL: And yet public comments and statements alone will not necessarily derail this. We will see what happens.

STELTER: It will not derail it.

ABEL: Yes. Brian Stelter, appreciate you. Thank you.

This just in, Vincent Pastore, best known for starring on "The Sopranos," has died. His manager telling The Associated Press, the veteran actor was found dead today in his New York City home.

He played mobster, Salvatore Bonpensiero. We won't say his name his mob name, but he was Tony Soprano's best friend turned FBI informant. You may also be finding out that I have not watched "The Sopranos."

It was Pastore's big break as an actor. He was also in multiple movies, including "Goodfellas" and "Awakenings." Pastore leaves behind a daughter. He was 80 years old.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:51:14]

ABEL: We have breaking news out of Idaho now. At least three people were killed and two injured; in a shooting that began in and out in Twin Falls. It happened in a busy part of the north side of the city, in an area packed with hotels, national retailers and restaurants. Twin Falls is about 130 miles southeast of Boise.

Local authorities say a search is now underway for the suspect. They are asking people to avoid the area. We are expecting a police news conference at any moment and we will update you as we learn more.

Tonight, a fast moving wildfire is forcing residents to evacuate their homes in Washington State. The highest level evacuation order was issued for several areas in Spokane County. The winds in the area, they have increased with gusts up to 45 miles per hour. Those winds, along with low humidity, they can whip up fires quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a nuclear bomb going off in our neighborhood, and it is not like forest fires because this is condensed into where it is demographically a lot of people. So it is really tragic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: State Fire Assistance has also now been mobilized in support of the local firefighters.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is scrapping his controversial plan to pump private money into future World Cups. That proposal has sparked global backlash, promises of boycotts and is prompting one of Infantino's closest advisers to resign.

In a statement, Infantino says "The project created division and as a result will no longer proceed." But even after withdrawing it, he is still finding himself in hot water with European soccer's governing body.

In a statement released this morning, UEFA says in part, "... the current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family."

And tomorrow night, an all-new CNN original series, "Decades in Sports: How Cultural and Political Milestones can Shape the World of Sports in America."

Ahead of the premiere, CNN's Omar Jimenez looks at how the New York Knicks' historic win in five turned the city streets alive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In New York City, the summer started with history. The New York Knicks bringing home an NBA championship for the first time in 53 years.

SPIKE LEE, NEW YORK KNICKS FAN: It is a love fest here. Everybody is wearing a Knicks t-shirt, a hat. The word is connection and it is a beautiful thing. And I know people who don't live here think that's some B.S., but this is straight up.

JIMENEZ: You can even feel it on the New York City Subway.

(PEOPLE cheering "Let's go Knicks!")

JIMENEZ: It is one of actor and superfan, John Turturro's favorite places to be after a Knicks win.

JOHN TURTURRO, ACTOR: It is like a small town. All of a sudden you're like, I am in this city that no one ever looks at each other and everyone is talking to each other and that's the power of the beauty of sports. It is egalitarian, you know, and everybody can share that.

JIMENEZ: And this was just how the summer started.

Enter the World Cup lighting up stadiums across the country and living rooms, offices during work hours and sports bars across the city.

There were more than a hundred free watch parties in every one of the five boroughs put on by the city. But of course, there can only be one winner.

With Spanish fans storming the streets in victory, it caps off one of the most beautiful eras in New York sports history, but it represents a feeling that transcends anything that could happen on a court or on the pitch.

Turturro puts it like this --

[19:55:06]

TURTURRO: It is like when the Yankees win the World Series in 2001, even though they lost, they brought, you know, after 9/11, they brought the city back -- back to life.

JIMENEZ: Yes!

TURTURRO: Because you could focus on something for a couple of hours and that's irreplaceable. It is one of the joys of being alive.

JIMENEZ: A joy captured in a matter of weeks in New York City, but remembered by those who experienced it for a lifetime myself, among them.

Omar Jimenez, CNN, New York.

REPORTER: This is New York City. Back to you guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: A lot of excitement there.

Be sure to tune in the all-new CNN Original Series: "Decades in Sports" back-to-back episodes premieres Sunday night at nine, right here on CNN.

Well, thank you for joining me this evening. I am Brian Abel. Join me again tomorrow starting at 5:00 P.M. Eastern.

"Real-Time" with Bill Maher is up next.

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