you are live in the "cnn newsroom." i'm jim acosta in washington. good evening. we are inching closer to i deadline in the government's case against former president donald trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. trump's lars now have about 22 hours to respond to a legal filing from special counsel jack smith. he requested a protective order after trump posted this on social media on friday. "if you go after me, i'm coming after you." smith wants the judge to limit trump and his legal team from publicly discussing sensitive evidence in the election interference case. today on cnn we heard from one trump lawyer who says he will fight that protective order. the defense attorney also says trump did not tell vice president mike pence at the time to throw out key electoral votes. he says the key distinction is that trump merely asked. >> you're saying that asking is action. no, asking is aspirational. asking is not action. it's core free speech. what president trump did not do is direct vice president pence to do anything. he asked him. in an aspirational way. asking is covered by the first amendment. >> and joining me now to discuss this, i'm asking in an aspirational way, that former federal prosecutor renato mariotti talk to me about this. renato, what do you make about this? it's an aspirational thing i guess for a defense attorney to put out that kind of argument. >> well, yeah, it's definitely quite aspirational. you can imagine, for example, a fraudster asking a victim or attempted victim whether or not they'd like to invest in a fraudulent investment. the mere fact that it's a question does not transform that into first amendment protected speech. it's very well settled by the courts that lots of crimes involve talking to people. the mere fact that you're doing that doesn't mean that you're entitled to first amendment protection. >> yeah, and the former attorney general bill barr undermined that first amendment case defense. he told cnn trump knew he lost the election. we've heard that from other sources. i heard that from sources at the time covering the end of that administration. as we continue to hear from more former allies and potential witnesses in this trial, we're seeing trump intensify his attacks. special counsel jack smith warned that he wants a protective order to limit what trump and his defense team can talk about in all of this. it was in light of this threat that trump essentially made on social media late friday evening. i was wondering what you thought of that. >> you know, usually it's a safe bet, jim, that a defendant spouting off -- a long leash. i will say that obviously donald trump is going to get some leeway. but this is not the right judge for him to try to do this in front of. i do think she's going to, you know, eventually bring resources to bear there and potentially issue orders to try to curtail his ability to continue influencing a potential jury pool. and jack smith i think is rightfully as the prosecutor going right out in front and trying to start that narrative with her, basically try to use up one of his strikes -- one of trump's strikes very early by filing motions getting that in front of her. >> the other thing that is percolating in all of this is trump has been going after mike pence on social media. he did that in a truth social post easter the last 24 hours. last night during a republican dinner in south carolina trump went after bill barr. he also went after jack smith. let's listen to this and talk about it on the other side. >> i will direct a completely, very, very powerful overhaul of the doj. we're not going o'to have cowards -- we're not going to have cowards like bill barr. >> virtually every poll we're kicking biden's ass. if i wasn't we wouldn't be under investigation by deranged jack smith. he's a deranged human being. >> now, renato, the judge made it very clear on thursday that trump is not supposed to go after witnesses. and you know, i'm just curious, if mike pence and bill barr potentially might be witnesses in this case, i mean, based on what jack smith said in his indictment, what mike pence said about what donald trump said to him, that you're too honest, that sounds to me like key testimony that jack smith might want to have played out in front of the jury. is trump violating the terms of this arraignment, and could that potentially land him in the slammer? what do you think? >> well, look, yes, potentially he is. his argument of course is going to be that he's a politician running for president, mike pence is running against him, bill barr is a political figure, part of the last administration. but you know, he is digging himself into a hole. in other words, someone who's more careful with his words could easily criticize those people and dance around that. but i think trump is not -- he's taking a sledgehammer, not a scalpel to this issue. so he's going to create a lot of heartburn for his attorneys in the months ahead. i really think, jim, that the judge is not going to do anything like lock him up pretrial for a number of reasons. one is that i think that would actually be helpful to him potentially. it would create sympathy for him. and would create a bunch of potentially appellate arguments, you know -- >> so he's going to be able to do whatever he wants to do, renato? he's going to be able to do whatever he wants to do, then s&p. >> i think it's -- no. i think there's consequences to making the judge upset. and for example, donald trump really wants leeway to make all sorts of constitutional arguments and first amendment arguments, and so forth. if he wants to have room to make those arguments and take time and get her to consider those things, he would be wise not to make her angry because she might give him the speedy trial jack smith wants if he continues and keeps this up. >> yeah. i was once told never upset, never poke a federal judge in the eye. that was once said to me at one point. i think those are wise words. renato mariotti, thank you very much. we appreciate it. last hour i spoke with one of the republicans challenging trump for the presidential nomination, former arkansas governor asa hutchinson is among the few rivals who is openly criticizing trump and he's critical of the republican national committee requiring all candidates who take part in the debate to pledge support for the eventual nominee. here's some of that conversation with the former governor. >> i don't want to sign a pledge that says i'm going to support somebody who's been convicted of serious crimes. but you know, they're not trying to get in the middle of that. and of course there's a constitutional limitation on doesn't disqualify him. i believe he is morally disqualified and he ought to withdraw. but the rnc does not share that view. and so we could be in a real predicament. and that's why donald trump wants to postpone all these trials until after the election. and it's going to be up to the judges to say not just the defendant has a ride to a speedy trial but the government does as well and the public does. that speedy trial requirement is for the public at large that we have speedy access to our justice system. so it's up to the judges. i hope it's resolved before the election is over with. i talked to hundreds of iowa voters tonight. incredible event, and i asked them, one, do you want donald trump on the debate stage? most of them say yes. because they want to see them all together. and how they respond to each other. and they know they'll be asked questions about the case itself. they want to know how he responds to that. and then secondly, there's a lot of trump support, absolutely, and there's a sense whether they're for trump or somebody else that the system has not treated him fairly. but they also recognize they need to move away. that's a very gradual process. and so this is going to be a pot coming to a boil over time and it's going to take the debate, it's going to take a lot of examination by iowa voters really to sort through who they're going to support. what was encouraging to me tonight is the number of iowans that had stickers on, "i'm an undecided iowa voter." there's a whole bunch of those stickers that are out there. >> hutchinson also says he's about halfway to qualifying for the first republican debate later this month. he also satisfied the polling requirement and now needs to reach that benchmark of $40,000. we'll keep an eye on that as it develops. in the meantime, a new problem in new york's migrant crisis. some asylum seekers have been seen sleeping on the streets. what's being done to help them, next. plus how the coast guard rescued a man 12 miles off the coast of florida. later on in the program, why elon musk is offering to pay legal bills for some twitter users. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." so you can improve your business however you see fit.t. rosie used part of her refund to build an outdoor patio. clink! dr. marshall used part of his refund to give his practice a fafacelift. emily used part of her refund to buy... i run a wax museum. let innovation refunds help you get started on your erc tax refund. stop waiting. go to innovationrefunds.com you really got the brows. ♪ chevy silverado has what it takes to do it all. with up to 13 camera views. and the z71 off-road package. ♪ you ok? yeah. any truck can help you make a living. this one helps you build a life. chevy silverado. ever since i retired, i've had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep - you know, insomnia. which was making my days feel like an uphill battle. that is, until i discovered something different, quviviq - a once-nightly fda approved medication for adults with insomnia. not getting enough sleep was leaving me tired. -oh come on! but quviviq helped me get more sleep. quviviq works differently than medication you may have taken in the past. it's thought to target one of the biological causes of insomnia: overactive wake signals. and when taken every night, studies showed that sleep continued to improve over time. do not take quviviq if you have narcolepsy. don't drink alcohol while taking quviviq or drive or operate heavy machinery until you feel fully alert. quviviq may cause temporary inability to move or talk or hallucinations while falling asleep or waking up. quviviq may cause sleepiness during the day. quviviq may lead to doing activities while not fully awake that you don't remember the next day, like walking, driving and making or eating food. worsening depression, including suicidal thoughts, may occur. most common side effects are headaches and sleepiness. it's quviviq. ask your doctor if it's right for you. was also the first time your profits left you speechless. at the counter or on the go, save 20% with the lowest transaction fees and keep more of what you make. start saving today at godaddy.com ♪ when you have chronic kidney disease... there are places you'd like to be. like here. and here. not so much here. if you have chronic kidney disease, farxiga can help you keep living life. ♪ farxiga ♪ and farxiga reduces the risk of kidney failure, which can lead to dialysis. farxiga can cause serious side effects including dehydration, urinary tract or genital yeast infections in women and men, and low blood sugar. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may lead to death. a rare life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this bacterial infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. farxiga can help you keep living life. ask your doctor for farxiga for chronic kidney disease. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. ♪ farxiga ♪ ♪( please don't go by harry casey, richard raymond finch )♪ ( ♪ ♪ ) ♪ (please don't go) ♪ ♪ (please don't go) ♪ ♪ (please don't go) ♪ ♪ (please don't go) ♪ ♪ (don't gooo) ♪ ( ♪ ♪ ) ♪ (don't go away) ♪ pre-order now and get a free storage upgrade. ♪ (please don't go) ♪ an update now on this massive fire that is unfolding right now in albuquerque, new mexico. you're looking at some images captured just a few moments ago. this black smoke just billowing into the air above this recycling center. a massive amount of smoke in the area. fire officials are on the scene. they say the building and the vehicles on the ground there are still burning. that the fire is not under control as of this point. we'll keep you updated. but as you can see, some pretty dramatic images coming out of albuquerque as this recycling center is just going up in flames with thick black smoke billowing over the area. emergency officials on the scene. we'll keep you posted as that situation develops. in the meantime, a dire situation is unfolding in new york city. migrants seen sleeping on the streets in this extreme summer heat. the mayor's office says nearly 100,000 asylum seekers have come through intake centers since the crisis began in the spring. city officials are once again calling for state and federal help. cnn's polo sandoval joins us live from new york city with more details. polo, what's it look like where you are? i mean, is this a common occurrence for people who are walking around new york, tourists, residents? are they seeing migrants now sleeping outside because they've just run out of space there? >> reporter: yeah, jim, i just took another look. this is a scene that's repeated itself, at least not recently. but when you hear the recent remarks from new york mayor eric adams, he is not ruling out the possibility that those scenes of migrants, mainly adult men, sleeping on sidewalks could repeat themselves. that is as he points out that the system, the new york city shelter system continues to buckle under pressure as the number of asylum seekers continues to rise. the city's still caring for roughly 56,000. close to 100,000 that have actually turned to the city for help since last spring. this is why not just to eric adams but also fellow administration officials have been continuing to call on not just the state but also the federal government for that assistance for an actual plan to help shoulder that burden of caring for these asylum seekers. now, in terms of what we've seen also in the last several weeks, we have seen at least 200 facilities used by new york city to actually provide shelter to these asylum seekers. and we should also note that this weekend marks one year since the first bus chartered by texas governor greg abbott arrived in new york city. we should also add that we've seen about 10,500 asylum seekers arrive by those means. it is just a fraction of the close to 100,000 asylum seekers, most of them coming here on their own. jim? >> all right. polo sandoval, very important story. thanks so much for staying on top of it pf we appreciate it. in the meantime a missing florida boater is safely back on shore today after being rescued by the coast guard about 12 miles off the coast of st. augustine. 25-year-old charles gregory was reported missing after failing to return for nearly two days. gregory was seen last on friday night leaving a boat ramp in a small lightweight and flat-bottomed vessel before being found alive on saturday. cnn's camila bernal is following this for us. my goodness. what a story. how did he survive this? >> reporter: it's incredible, jim. and charles gregory, 25-year-old, is recovering at home but he held on to that boat. he never gave up. that's how he survived. i talked to his dad, raymond gregory, who told me that his son was scared to death, that he's had more conversations with god in those 30 or so hours than he's had his whole entire life. he said his son went out at 4:00 in the morning. he goes fishing. and something he usually does and has been doing for years. and he says the tide, though, was going faster than he thought it was and then a wave hit the boat and the boat capsized and essentially that's when it all went downhill for him. he said he lost his cell phone, his throw cushion, his life jacket, and he had to remove the motor from the boat. so he was hanging on to whatever was left of that boat for hours and hours. he got sunburnt and there were sharks and fish and jellyfish that stung him according to his father. he says, though, that the worst part of it all was at night because he says after that sunburn he was just feeling like he was going to die. it was freezing cold and he still had to hold on to that boat. the father saying he is okay, it's going to take a while because he was dehydrated and is trying to essentially go back to normal life. so it will take a while. but he is okay, jim. >> all right. just incredible images. i can't believe he survived that. camila bernal, thank you very much. very lucky to be alive. camila, thanks. former president donald trump is launching new attacks on the special counsel handling his case and even his former cabinet members. is this witness intimidation? find out what our political panel thinks next. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." here's how tommy lost 30 lbs on noom weight. i'm tom. noom helped him use psychology to lose weight. the mindful aspect made me feel more conscious about what i was eating and why i was eating it. 's actually working. lose weight and make it last with noom weight. (♪) rsv can be a dangerous virus... [sneeze] ...for those 60 and older. it's not just a cold. and if you're 60 or older... ...you may be at increased risk of hospitalization... [coughing] ...from this highly... ...contagious virus. not all dangers come with warning labels. talk to your pharmacist or doctor... ...about getting vaccinated against rsv today. i see irritated gums and weak enamel. sensodyne sensitivity gum & enamel relieves sensitivity, helps restore gum health, and rehardens enamel. i'm a big advocate of recommending things that i know work. that's why comcast business de is launching theal. mobile made free event. with our business internet, new and existing customers can get one year of unlimited mobile for free. it's our best internet. powered by the next generation 10g network and with 99.9% reliability. plus one line of free mobile for an entire year. it's the mobile made free event-happening now. get started for just $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get one free line of unlimited mobile. comcast business, powering possibilities. having diabetes isn't easy, but i found splenda diabetes care shakes which help me manage my blood sugar and give me the energy at breakfast to take on whatever the day brings... they're smooth and creamy have 16 grams of protein and unlike others, *splenda* shakes have zero sugar they're a perfect snack between meals. or lunch on the go. splenda shakes are made by the #1 doctor-recommended sweetener brand. splenda diabetes care shakes: find them in the pharmacy aisle today. fresh off of his third appearance in court as a criminal defendant, former president donald trump is lashing out at his political foes and anyone who attempts to hold him accountable. >> i will direct a completely very, very powerful overhaul of the doj. we're not going to have cowards. we're not going to have cowards like bill barr. >> virtually every poll we're kicking biden's ass. if i wasn't, we wouldn't be under investigation by deranged jack smith. he's a deranged human being. >> joining us now to discuss, cnn political commentator democratic strategist paul begala and former republican congressman joe walsh. he's also the host of the podcast "white flag." joe, let's start with you. you just heard trump threatening payback. he's been doing this since 24 hours after the arraignment when he said "if you come after me i'm coming after you." and then he goes after smith. he's going after bill barr, who could be a potential witness. is this in essence witness intimidation, trying to intimidate the people who are involved in the case, the special counsel, the judge and so on? >> i don't know. i'm not a lawyer. legally, jim, i don't know. all i know is this is manna for his base. this entire indictment has fueled his -- i think he's a lock for the nomination. but his base politically loves it when he does this. >> but why aren't more republicans speaking out? the rivals, they seem to be tiptoeing around going after trump. and you know this because you ran for congress. if you ran against somebody for your party's nomination and that person was indicted you would pounce. and it just isn't happening. >> well, you asked asa hutchinson that question and he didn't answer you. the truth is because if you go after trump you can't win. asa hutchinson's a good man. will hurd's a good man. chris christie. those three who are attacking trump have zero shot at the nomination. the only lane in this party is to try to hug trump and hope that he can't run. >> and paul, trump also has a few choice words for his former vice president. he posted on his truth social account about mike pence saying he was about to be ousted as governor of indiana until trump picked him to be his running mate. he called pence delusional and a bunch of other stuff. there.n see it on your screen i won't read it all. but i mean pence potentially could be one of the star witnesses in this trial. again, isn't this witness intimidation? doesn't the judge have to warn trump and say knock it off? >> the lawyer in me wants to protect the first amendment. that's the most important thing. and i hope this judge has a very, very wide strike zone. donald trump is running for president. mike pence is running against him. he should have a perfect right to criticize pence. this to me doesn't cross the line the way the veiled threat does, "i'm coming after you." that's different from just saying pence was i afailed politician and i gave him -- you know, i'm okay with that. but there's an old saying, zell miller, one of my mentors in this business, the phenomenoner georgia governor, will say a hit dog will holler. so when trump is yelling at somebody it's because he's afraid of them. he's never criticized pence before because pence is like 2%. so why is he all of a sudden afraid of mike pence? i think because as we now know trump said he's just too honest. pence is going to get in that trial, he's going to put his hand on a bible. for mike pence it won't be the first time. i think 9 only two times trump ever touched a bible was when he was sworn in. but pence is going to tell the truth. i think that's why he's attacking him. >> that's an important point. that tweet of his "if you come after me, i'm coming after you," that's a direct call to violence. and that's trump saying the next 15 months, signaling to his supporters to get violent. and they will. >> keep in mind after the search of mar-a-lago a deranged man on the fringes of the far right, perhaps inspired by mr. trump or other figures, attacked the fbi office in cincinnati. and wound p losing his life because he was trying to murder fbi agents. he was so upset about the raid on mar-a-lago. but i did the math. if only .001% of trump supporters, 1/1000 of a percent, it's still 74,000 people. that's a sellout at an nfl game. he needs to be really careful about inspiring violence. and i fear that he's desirous of it, not careful about it. >> completely. as he was, again, on january 6th. we've talked. he wanted that violence. he's desirous. paul's right. he wants this. >> yeah. and speaking of pence, here's how he responded on cnn's "state of the union" earlier today when he asked if he would testify in the trial. let's listen. >> i have no plans to testify. but look, we'll always -- we'll always comply with the law. but look, i want to tell you, i don't know what the path of this indictment will be. the president's entitled to a presumption of innocence. he's entitled to make his defense in court. there actually are profound issues around this pertaining to the first amendment, freedom of speech and the rest. i'm confident he and his lawyers will litigate all of those things. >> yeah. paul, i mean, i just don't see -- there's such a hesitancy there. and mike pence has slowly started to be more critical of the former president, his former boss. but there's such a hesitancy. and i guess as i was saying earlier, i don't understand why these republican rivals aren't going after trump. he's got three indictments. i mean, shouldn't that be -- >> i think joe's right that -- it's your party. you know and you talk to them on the radio every day of your podcast. >> you've been involved in campaigns. >> i think a lot of the trump base thinks these are unjust prosecutions. thereby, attacking him sounds like you're siding with the other side. but there's another way. and here's free political consulting. it costs people a lot of money. get off of trump and get on to the voters. i would say look, trump is who he is. but i can tell you one thing he's focused on. staying out of jail. you know what i'm focused on? keeping you on the job. i'm focused on your life. he's focused on his. so rather than litigate the charges against him, which is going to make a lot of republicans feel like you're unfair, why not fight for the voters and say look, the problem with this -- the problem with trump is he's like the pavarotti warming up before the opera. it's just me, me, me, me, me, me, me. and i'm going to be about you, you, you, you. your job, your health care, your kids, your future. i think there's a message there. christie got close to it at the cnn town hall meeting. he was the closest i've seen to that. but i think there is a real opportunity for somebody to talk about the voters instead of mr. trump. >> jim, there's no anti-trump lane in this party. if you're going to do it, you have to do what paul just sugg suggested. but i think it's too late. i think this guy's hold over the voters of this party is already set. >> yeah, and i was talking to des moines bureau chief for an iowa paper in cedar rapids and he was essentially describing it as a situation where trump is almost like the incumbent running in this field right now even though he's obviously not. let me ask both of you about this. trump's attorney is saying he can't get a free trial, trump can't get a free trial in washington, d.c. let's listen to this. >> we would like a diverse venue, a diverse jury. >> do you have any expectation that will be granted? >> that reflects the -- the characteristics of the american people. it's up to the judge. i think west virginia would be an excellent venue to try this case. >> speaking of the judge -- >> much more diverse. >> yeah, first trump is making this case about the first amendment and free speech. now his legal team is talking about diversity. that sounds -- what's the word i'm looking for? woke. >> that's a good point. d.c. is famous for being reluctant to convict. it's actually a pretty good venue to be a defense attorney. i talked to a federal prosecutor who's practiced in front of this judge who told me this judge is very tough on prosecutors, very much by the book. you can get a fair trial in d.c. or in west virginia or wherever. but he's not going to win this change of venue. he's going to have -- the problem is he allegedly committed the crimes walking distance to the courthouse. you walk right from that courthouse to the capitol building to the white house, the justice department, all the places named in that indictment. there's no way it's going to move out of there. again, maybe this is a political thing, attack d.c. and maybe it will help you with republican voters. but it's not going to help him with this judge to tell her she's not fair when she's got a reputation for being very scrupulous and protecting defendants' rights. >> nor the jury pool for that matter. and joe, i guess -- and you and i have talked about this countless times. aren't all of these really just delay tactics by donald trump? kick up some dirt out on the campaign trail, put out some truth social media posts. look what happened. the special counsel filed a motion for a protective order and so on. and now they'll have to adjudicate this to some extent. and it just kicks the can down the road a little longer. i talked to a trump adviser recently who said the goal is to get this past -- all these cases past the election. and then we'll see if we win. >> which he may be able to do. that's his goal. the other goal, jim, is every day paint himself as the biggest victim in the history of the universe. because that's his secret sauce with republican voters. so go after the judge, it's not fair. the jurisdiction's not fair. everything's not fair. >> but paul, a victim of what? >> he's a billionaire martyr. give me a break. i mean, come on, the guy poops in a gold toilet. this is not exactly very plausible. >> the deep state. my goodness. >> sorry, mom. we went to mass this morning. >> the pavarotti will get you off the hook when you did that earlier. thanks, gentlemen, very much. we appreciate it. elon musk says he will pay the legal fees for those who have gotten in trouble over twitter. why those fees aren't the only thing he's going after. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." helps restore gugum health, and rehardens enamel. i'm a big advocate of recommending things that i know wowork. hi, i'm jill and i've lost 56 pounds on golo. hi, i'm barry and i've lost 42 pounds. jill and i are a team. if she tells me to do something, i usually jump on board. golo was doable, it's realistic, and it's something we cado the rest of our lives. you tried. limiting when it was okay. no tech behind closed doors. but social media's algorithms of addiction always won out. it's not your fault. alone you can't stop it. together, we will. we have a plan. join us. ( ♪ ) the first time you connected your godaddy website and your store was also the first time you realized... well, we can do anything. cheesecake cookies? the chookie! manage all your sales from one place with a partner that always puts you first. (we did it) start today at godaddy.com when i was diagnosed with h-i-v, i didn't know who i would be. but here i am... being me. keep being you... and ask your healthcare provider about the number one prescribed h-i-v treatment, biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in many people whether you're 18 or 80. with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to undetectable—and stay there whether you're just starting or replacing your current treatment. research shows that taking h-i-v treatment as prescribed and getting to and staying undetectable prevents transmitting h-i-v through sex. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your healthcare provider. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. no matter where life takes you, biktarvy can go with you. talk to your healthcare provider today. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [baby crying] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ wherever you go. wherever you stay. all you need is one key. earn and use rewards across expedia, hotels.com, and vrbo. think hairspray's stuck in one dimension? think again. flex any style... with hairspray that flexes with you. new tresemmé hairspray. in a tweet elon musk is now vowing that x, formerly known as twitter, will cover the legal costs of anyone who gets in trouble with their boss for their activity on the social media platform. no limit. just let them know. and in a follow-up tweet musk added "we won't just sue. it will be extremely loud and we will go after the boards of directors of the companies too." cnn's john sarlin covers tech and money. he's the host of cnn's "nightcap." john, great to see you. musk making a pretty substantial monetary promise there, despite the fact that he's been losing a lot of money with x or twitter or whatever it's called on top of that. i guess he's got more money to dole out. what is going on here? >> right. a bold offer from elon musk. today musk tweeting, if you are, quote, unfairly treated by your employer due to posting or liking something on this platform, we will fund your legal bill. no limit. the key word there, no limit. now, is this a legally binding contract? i talked to one lawyer who said yes, it is. mark zave, he's a national security lawyer who represents whistleblowers. he tweeted that if you accept musk's offer he will represent you pro bono if musk does not pay up. now, i asked mark zade what accepting musk's offer would entail. he says it's as simple as responding to musk's tweet. although he did suggest sending a certified letter to musk and to twitter. now, another question is will musk's offer apply to, say, former twitter employees who found themselves fired after publicly going back and forth with elon musk on twitter? now, you might remember that after musk took over the platform some of the employees at the time got into these public back and forths with musk. one of them, eric fronhoffer was a twitter engineer who retweeted musk ofrs with a thinking emoji. although he did tell me he's not taking musk's offer seriously. >> yeah. and here's the other thing too. let's say you get fired because of something you tweeted and you want to sue your employer because of that. elon musk might pay your legal fees. but if you go through mediation or go to a judge or the judge says oh no, you deserve to be fired because you tweeted something in violation of your company's policy, i guess he covers your legal fees but you're still out of a job. you're still in trouble. so i guess i don't understand that. but -- and musk is also suing this disinformation research group known as the center for countering digital hate, accusing it of conducting a scare campaign to drive away advertisers. i mean, he's trying to be this defender of the first amendment and free speech on one hand but he's going after these guys. >> that's right. elon musk is keeping lawyers busy. this week he has filed a suit in san francisco federal court against the center for countering digital hate. it's a non-profit group that he has criticized for the company's monitoring the hate speech on the platform. the company in the suit alleges that the non-profit, quote, violated twitter's terms of service. they accused it of breaking federal hacking laws, of scraping data and using an unnamed individual to access third-party data. now, in response to this imran ahmed, the founder of the non-profit, told cnn thares like a, quote, conspiracy theory. in a statement posted on their website he said that elon musk's latest legal move is straight ouof the authoritarian playbook. the center for countering digital hate's research ows that hate and disinformation is spreading like wildfire on the platform under musk's ownership, and this lawsuit is a direct attempt to silence those efforts. >> yeah. let me ask you about this. musk is claiming that this possible showdown between himself and mark zuckerberg that they've been talking about -- i guess they talk about it being a cage match or something. i still don't think this is ever going to happen. but anyway, he says it's going to be streamed on x or twitter or whatever it's called now. by the way, if it's called x, why are we still saying tweeting? why does the website still say twitter.com? anyway, what can you tell us about this back and forth between these two guys? >> well, what once seemed like an absurd spectacle still seems like an absurd spectacle but one that might be one step closer to a reality. now, after mark zuckerberg and meta launched threads a couple months ago, elon muss sxk mark zuckerberg got into this back and forth about a cage fight. bear in mind these are two billionaire ceos, two of the most powerful people in the world, and yet they want to solve their differences in a cage fight. well, now elon musk tweeting today that the fight will be, quote, livestreamed on x and all proceeds will be going to charity for veterans. now, zuckerberg on threads, where else, countered, poking fun at twitter's reliability issues as of late saying that the fight should be on a, quote, more reliable platform. he says he's ready to fight any day. so the question is, jim, who are you taking? >> i think the other question is, jon, who's going to be watching. why would i want to watch those two guys beat each other up? i just -- i guess i'll watch a little. jon sarlin -- >> pure moments in modern reality. >> zuckerberg did do that surfing thing with the thing that came out of the water. maybe that gives him an edge. i don't know. i'm just guessing off the top of my head. all right, jon, we'll be watching. thanks so much. jon sarlin. we'll be right back. ♪ chevy silverado has what it takes to do it a. with up to 1camera views. and the z71 off-road package. ♪ you ok? yeah. any truck can help you make a living. this one helps you build a life. chevy silverado. eva's about to learn her fear of missing out leads to overeating. i totally eat stuff to not miss out. and that's just a bit of psychology eva learned from noom weight. sign up now at noom.com ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ when you have chronic kidney disease... there are places you'd like to be. like here. and here. not so much here. if you have chronic kidney disease, farxiga can help you keep living life. ♪ farxiga ♪ and farxiga reduces the risk of kidney failure, which can lead to dialysis. farxiga can cause serious side effects including dehydration, urinary tract or genital yeast infections in women and men, and low blood sugar. ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may lead to death. a rare life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this bacterial infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. farxiga can help you keep living life. ask your doctor for farxiga for chronic kidney disease. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. ♪ farxiga ♪ let innovation refunds help with your erc tax refund so you can improve your business however you see fit. rosie used part of her refund to build an outdoor patio. clink! dr. marshall used part of his refund to give his practice a facelift. emily used part of her refund to buy... i run a wax museum. let innovation refunds help you get started on your erc tax refund. stop waiting. go to innovationrefunds.com you really got the brows. the quest for another women's world cup soccer championship is over for the u.s. after a heartbreaking loss this morning to long-time nemesis sweden. the u.s. women dominated for much of the game yet neither team managed to score, forcing a dramatic penalty shootout. sweden won that shootout 5-4. and now they'll face japan in the world cup quarterfinals on gary. this is the earliest exit ever at a world cup for the u.s. women. the match also marks the final world cup performance for megan rapinoe, who has announced this is her final tournament before retiring. her final kick for team usa was that crucial penalty miss against sweden. while it's hardly the ending she had hoped for, cnn's carolyn manno reports that rapinoe's legacy extends far beyond the field. >> she's someone who has i think made this team so much better than when she entered into it. >> reporter: a legendary career on the world's biggest stage has come to a bittersweet end for megan rapinoe. after 202 appearances, 63 goals, two women's world cup titles and an olympic gold medal, the 38-year-old has played her last game for the u.s. women's national team. >> i've watched her since she was 7 years old. and to see what she's done for the sport. i have the utmost respect for her. she's going to leave a legacy and we're going to continue to grow as feminine soccer players. i think it's great. >> reporter: rapinoe has become a household name for her accomplishments on the field but her legacy is so much more. as a gay athlete who was never afraid to speak her find and her truth, she transcended her sport. >> i feel like i used my career to do the thing that i'm the most passionate about, i feel like was more of a purpose in life than doing things out on the left wing. i hope nobody thinks what i did on the field is more important than what i did off it. i don't think it even really comes close. >> reporter: rapinoe came out publicly in 2012, and she has always been a voice to the voiceless and an inspiration to the lgbtq community. >> i'm married to my wife, renata. and megan rapinoe is one of our -- definitely one of our heroes. >> reporter: in 2016 rapinoe garnered with nfl player colin kaepernick. for years, she was instrumental in the lawsuits brought by the u.s. women who lobbied the u.s. soccer federation for equal pay and conditions. in 2022, their sacrifice and determination finally paid off in an equal rate of pay in all friendlies and tournaments, including the world cup. >> megan rapinoe challenges and inspires millions of people who believe in themselves and the possibilities of our nation. >> reporter: she received the presidential medal of freedom, the highest civilian honor in the united states, becoming the first soccer player ever to receive the medal. a heartbreaking loss to sweden on penalties in the round of 16 won't be how she imagined her international career ending. if there's anything to know about megan rapinoe, this is not the end. >> still just feel really grateful and joyful and i know it's the end and that's sad. but i've loved playing for this team and for this country. it's been an honor. >> she had an amazing run. thanks for that report. we'll be right back. now is the time to partner witih our experts. get started today withth verizn business. it's your business. it's your verizon. i got into debt in college and, no matter how much i paid, it followed me everywhere. so i consolidated it into a low-rate personaloan from sofi. ditch crit card fees and high interest. borrow up to $100k. personaloan from sofi. sofi. get your money right. was also the first time your profits left you speechless. at the counter or on the go, save 20% with the lowest transaction fees and keep more of what you make. start saving today at godaddy.com ever since i retired, i've had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep - you know, insomnia. which was making my days feel like an uphill battle. that is, until i discovered something different, quviviq - a once-nightly fda approved medication for adults with insomnia. not getting enough sleep was leaving me tired. -oh come on! but quviviq helped me get more sleep. quviviq works differently than medication you may have taken in the past. it's thought to target one of the biological causes of insomnia: overactive wake signals. and when taken every night, studies showed that sleep continued to improve over time. do not take quviviq if you have narcolepsy. don't drink alcohol while taking quviviq or drive or operate heavy machinery until you feel fully alert. quviviq may cause temporary inability to move or talk or hallucinations while falling asleep or waking up. quviviq may cause sleepiness during the day. quviviq may lead to doing activities while not fully awake that you don't remember the next day, like walking, driving and making or eating food. worsening depression, including suicidal thoughts, may occur. most common side effects are headaches and sleepiness. it's quviviq. ask your doctor if it's right for you. ok, dad, next take more speed. more speed. the best performance is high performance. find it at the lexus golden opportunity sales event. sleepovers just aren't what they used to be. a house full of screens? basically no hiccups? you guys have no idea how good you've got it. how old are you? like, 80? back in my day, it was scary stories and flashlights. we don't get scared. oh, really? mom can see your search history. that's what i thought. introducing the next generation 10g network. only from xfinity. sleepovers just aren't what they used to be. a house full of screens? basically no hiccups? you guys have no idea how good you've got it. how old are you? like, 80? back in my day, it was scary stories and flashlights. we don't get scared. oh, really? mom can see your search history. that's what i thought. introducing the next generation 10g network. only from xfinity. "barbie" is having her best day ever. the blockbuster raked in more than $1 billion at the box office. greta gerwig is the first female solo director with a billion dollar movie. cnn and warner brothers share the same parent company. another animal rarity, the walrus calf was found wandering alone. this species is often spotted in the ocean or along the western coastline and with their mothers. the calf had some medical issues and is now under 24-hour cuddle care at the alaska sea life center. staff reports that he continues to eat well and remains alert and is on the road to recovery, getting some cuddles right there. very nice. and over the last ten years, dr. sanjay gupta has reported how medical cannabis has been life saving for people. tonight "the whole story with anderson cooper" brings you the latest installment of the award-winning series. he explains how life-changing it could be for older adults. >> 62-year-old namma is a cancer survivor. she now deals with chronic pain. >> were you taking opioids and other medications for pain? >> i tried ten years before. i stopped work. i couldn't do -- i could hardly walk. it was difficult and it was terrible. >> reporter: her life is so different now. she couldn't even get out of bed back then. but is now a thriving yoga teacher. her visit today is to learn how to vape cannabis instead of smoking it. >> in israel at the moment, we have too much people using it by smoke. it's not good for your health. okay, you want to sit down? i think it's going to be more easy for you. >> reporter: keep in mind, we're in a clinic in a hospital. this is a treatment that they're administering. >> okay, so we start now. it's a little bit different. >> it is different. >> reporter: a difference namma says she felt almost immediately. >> wonderful. great. you're not coughing. >> you're not coughing. >> i wonder how would it be later. right now it's wonderful. it's nice. >> reporter: again, what really struck me about all of this as i sat there was that this was all happening in a hospital. >> it's not a secret anymore. it's not behind the table. so, this is a huge change. >> air out. >> jim, i think there's no question because of all the concerns about opioids and the potential for overdose, there's been a push, as you've seen there in israel, to try and find other options. and for some people, as you saw with 62-year-old namma, cannabis can be an option. it's not for everybody. but it can work for some people, especially when other things have not worked. in the united states, jim, the fastest-growing demographic of cannabis users is people over the age of 65 which is quite extraordinary. while we're not likely to see in the united states what we just saw there in israel, there's no question that people are increasingly turning to cannabis for things like sleep problems, for aches and pains and for mood. that's why there are so many people in that age group that are increasingly using cannabis. if they can get off other prescribed medications, that implications for those individuals, jim, but also for the country as a whole >> all right, fascinating stuff from the great sanjay gupta. don't miss the new episode of "the whole story with anderson cooper." it's next on cnn. thank you very much for joining me this evening. reporting from washington, i'm jim acosta, have a great night, everybody, and a great week. happy sunday and i hope the week goes great here on out. thanks for tuning in. good night. welcome to "the whole story." i'm anderson cooper.