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Motion Picture Academy Expels Harvey Weinstein; Wildfires Kill At Least 37 People, Burn Thousands of Homes; Priebus Interviewed By Special Counsel Investigators; Trump Defies Advisors and Decertifies Iran Nuclear Deal; Jerry Brown, Dianne Feinstein, Kamala Harris Press Conference on Wildfires; NFL Not Requiring Players to Stand for National Anthem as Cowboys Owners Says Stand or Don't Play. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 14, 2017 - 17:00   ET

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


[16:55:40] ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM, I am Ana Cabrera in New York, our breaking news.

That of Hollywood where disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has just been expelled from one of the most prestigious groups in the industry. The Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences. The people who award the Oscars. The news comes after at least four women accused Weinstein of raping them. Dozens more including many known actresses are alleging everything from harassment to sexual assaults. Weinstein denies the allegations saying that he believes all the encounters were consensual.

We now have a statement from the Academy Board of Governors which includes this famous faces. Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg, Steven Spielberg, they say, quote, "We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit or respect of his colleagues but also send the message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over. What's at issue here is a deeply troubling problems that has no place in our society. The Board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all academy members will be expected to exemplify."

We'll bring in senior media correspondent Brian Stelter. And Brian, we talked earlier that in the past, the academy has not taken this move despite other allegations, even convictions of misconducts against ours.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: That is right. Roman Polanski still an academy member. Rory Allen (ph) is still an academy member. Bill Cosby is still an academy member. But this time, this moment is different. And I think it is partly because this country is evolving pretty quickly, thankfully on the issues of sexual harassment and assaults.

There are times decades ago where we would not have seen the academy take this kind of action where the women who have come forward in the past nine days would not have been supported the way they have been. And you think about the past, there was this idea that women would be shamed if they would come forward with allegations of harassment or assault. Or they would be told that's the price of working in Hollywood.

Well, no more. We are seeing these boards of governors of the academy trying to make a statement that that will not be tolerated. That if that era was ever in the past, that's not present today. You think about this on the hills of the Roger Ailes scandal, the Bill O'Reilly scandal. I think we're really witnessing a change in American culture in the relationships between men and women in the work force and what it means to have powerful men in these companies, in this case, the Weinstein's company who thought they can get away with something for a long time.

And hopefully that is now ending. And so, the academy here is making a bold statement by saying, he is persona non grata, he is out of the academy, we have never seen a lifetime membership revoked in the midst in the scandal like this. And the reason why I think it is such an incredible blow for Harvey Weinstein personally, is that his name was anonymous with the Oscars. You know, this is the organization that puts on the Oscars and he was famous for Oscar campaigning, for helping stars like Gwyneth Paltrow. Make their way to the Oscar stage and win awards. So, Harvey Weinstein is being reprimanded, being rejected by the group that he was really synonymous with for decades.

CABRERA: Right. Somebody on Twitter said, he is Hollywood, he is not just be rejected now by Hollywood. He is Hollywood.

STELTER: He was Hollywood.

CABRERA: A good point. What about his Oscars?

STELTER: He apparently will still hold onto to his Oscar statue from 1999 from the movie "Shakespeare in Love." It is not unclear though what happens in his future. You know, what he's going to do if he's not a Hollywood film producer. Right now he's apparently seeking therapy, his adviser is been unclear about exactly where he is or is he really in rehab or not. It seems to me like he's been in denial about Syria, Ana. He's talked about wanting a second chance from Hollywood.

CABRERA: Right.

STELTER: But these announcements in the past hour would indicate there is no second chance at least from the academy for Harvey Weinstein.

CABRERA: Brian, stay with me, I want to bring in a couple of other voices to continue the conservation.

With us is CNN legal analyst and defense attorney Mark Geragos as well as Rachel Sklar, she is the writer and co-founder of Change the Ratio which seems to increase opportunities for women in the media.

Mark, I have to ask you this right off the bat, because you defended some pretty big names to have been vilified in the media. We've got Scott Peterson, Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, I have to ask, has Harvey Weinstein reached out to you?

(LAUGHTER)

MARK GERAGOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: If he did, I would not answer it.

CABRERA: Really?

GERAGOS: I will tell you that right now there is when Brian starts to talk about the people who are still members and then that they expelled him, it shows you exactly kind of the culture shock that is going on. I mean, when you've been actually convicted like Polanski have and you are still a member. Yet, here, he has not been convicted of anything yet and he's expelled. It is kind of a water shed moment in Hollywood.

CABRERA: What makes it different to you though, I mean, even what you just said, if he calls you, he would not take that call, you would not be his adviser.

GERAGOS: Well, now, I did not say that, I would not tell you if he had reached out.

CABRERA: Oh, that's what you mean.

GERAGOS: Even if, you have an ethical duty to not disclose those kinds of things. So, I would not answer that question.

CABRERA: Okay.

GERAGOS: But I will tell you that, my advice would have been to not do what he's done so far. What he's done so far has been literally a blueprint for indict me or come file charges on me. It is astonishing that with the caliber of legal talent, around him that he's acted out in this way. But I think that is probably part of his problem or psyche to begin with. And a lot of times I'd ran up against it. I am not saying specifically here.

[17:05:35] But a lot of times, alpha males, when they're in the crosshairs have a real tough time heating the advice of their lawyers especially criminal lawyers who generally tend to be in a one off situation. But he does have criminal exposure. I mean, any time that you've got a district attorney like you do in New York who is actively advertising for other victims, that is a very troubling thing. And you just need to act accordingly and so far he's not heeded, I am sure of his lawyer's advice.

CABRERA: Rachel, I think that kind of leads to the next question of this is not just about sex, it is about power in some ways it seems.

RACHEL SKLAR, CO-FOUNDER, CHANGE THE RATIO: This entire thing is about power by all accounts, that was whatnot only what Harvey Weinstein reel, that in order to get away with this for so long but the charge that he clearly got from doing it. That's clear abusive power, clear exercise of power and he was so incredibly reckless as though he was just trying to, you know, test the water.

This is pathological behavior but you know, Mark mentioned, alpha males, I cannot tell you how sick I am of alpha males trampling all over women in order to get what they want. We have seen this behavior over and over, we've mentioned Bill Cosby, we've mentioned Roman Polanski and these are allegations, Woody Allen, their allegations. And we also have allegations that many, many, many of them against the President of the United States Donald Trump, this all happened a year ago with respect to him in terms of many, many women coming forward with stories that are frankly very similar, you know?

When I read the accounts of Harvey Weinstein coming out in a bathrobe and propositioning women forcefully, it reminded me of some of her accusations against the current president. And so, it is wonderful that we are seeing a lot of these moments and it is wonderful that we are seeing change. I'm glad the academy active. But, you know, there is a giant elephant in the room and yes, the elephant time pun is apropos. Because the GOP has, you know, they elevated this guy. So, like I am waiting for it to move on up.

CABRERA: So, you are obviously are referring there about elevating this guy. That wasn't Harvey Weinstein. You are talking about the President. But let me go back to Harvey Weinstein and Brian, the paparazzi caught Weinstein as he's leaving town. Let's listen to what that exchange was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARVEY WEINSTEIN, HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER: Guys, I am not doing okay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are not?

WEINSTEIN: I am trying, I got to get help guys. You know what, we all make mistakes, second chance, I hope, okay?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No problem.

WEINSTEIN: Thanks, guys. And you know what, I have always been loyal to you guys and not like those (bleep) that treat me like (bleep). I have been a good guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So, that was the second chance comment who alluded to earlier. He says, he hopes he gets a second chance.

STELTER: Yes.

CABRERA: It seems like everything is going in the other direction.

STELTER: Yes. He's actually been saying a several times. I was amazed what he said on that clip because he said it on day one when "The New York Times" investigations came out nine days ago. He's been saying ever since that he's hoping to get a second chance and going to rehab and getting help. But, you know I cannot tell you there is no indication that he's off at some sort of secluded rehab facility.

The sense I have is yes, he might be seeing therapists, he might be talking with doctors, but he's been resistant to how serious this is. And I think if anything comes to this, today it is the academy saying the era of shameful complicity, the era of willful ignorance is over.

I'm really struck by that language. It is a lot stronger than it had to be from the Board of Governors that lead this organization. They are saying eventually there was an era of willful ignorance. Yes, people were complicit in covering up Harvey Weinstein's behavior. We are embarrassed by that. We want to make sure it never happens again.

CABRERA: So, I mean, there is that statement. But Mark, I mean, the bottom-line is, this guy is not facing any charges. The NYPD however in Scotland Yard we now know are investigating some of these claims against Weinstein, how likely is it that he will be charged?

GERAGOS: Well, it is always speculative. I hate to set odds on somebody getting charged. I also feel like the one that he's got real jeopardy it strikes me is in New York. New York, you are within the Statue of Limitations arguably they can use that 2015 incident as a like crime evidence, similar to what happened to Bill Cosby and his trial. They got active of another accuser and whether that accuser is cooperating or not, it's been reported in a gray area.

[17:10:26] But that is where he's got real jeopardy and that's why I keep saying, he needs to be heeding his lawyer's advice if he's got a lawyer in New York. Because he has real jeopardy in a case like this. And I remember this is and it was not long ago that we were talking about Cosby before he was charged criminally and he was doing some things that did not make a whole lot of sense and almost inviting the prosecutors somewhere to charge him and remember when you got this kind of public wealth spring of -- at your back if you are a prosecutor, it is not that hard for you to go out on the limb and take a chance and now prosecutes somebody criminally whose public enemy number one.

CABRERA: Rachel, I saw somebody say this is simply Hollywood now trying to sweep Harvey under the rug. I wonder if it is a missed opportunity that they didn't not just make this statement but then institute some changes that make it easier for women to come forward in the future, some protections for accusers.

SKLAR: I mean, I think that will be great. I think we'll going to see a lot of change and you know, we have seen incremental change already. But I am weary of making the Harvey Weinstein and his abuses, Bill Cosby and his abuses. The standards that must be met before anything happens. Because there was a lot of room for bad acting over decades on the part of those two certainly but the story that continues to emerge and it is not just in Hollywood.

It is, you know, actress model Cameron Russell, who is posting on his Instagram account, anonymous messages from people in the past industry about abuses and violations time and again. You know, we just had this kind of scandal rocking Silicon Valley. This is endemic to the defaults in our society which believe men hold woman to a higher standard and just sort of look the other way. And it seems that, gee, it is all white men at the top. That's just must be how it is supposed to be. And it's not. You know, Harvey Weinstein and all the headlines over the past few hours, how he's been spurted out of the academy and great. But how many women never even got the chance even to come close to the

academy because he cut their career short or men like Harvey Weinstein cut their career short. I think there has to be a greater understanding that there is a completely different pathway for, you know, for people who have privilege, usually straight white men and everyone else who encounter roadblocks at minimus unconscious bias but often a lot more severe roadblocks like Harvey Weinstein standing in front of them between the door way and a potted plants.

CABRERA: All right. Rachel Sklar, Mark Geragos, and Brian Stelter. Thank you for the thoughts and conversations, guys.

STELTER: Thanks.

CABRERA: Coming up, five minutes in hell. Dramatic new video. As California crews are racing through flames and ash trying to reach victims of the devastating wildfires.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, (bleep), I have to get out of here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, don't hit me. God damn it. (Bleep), I got to get out of here. Bad spot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Plus, new developments in the Russia probe as Trump's former chief-of-staff takes questions from Robert Mueller's team.

And the interior secretary revives a little known and long ritual that even the President does not use but the Queen of England does.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:18:17] CABRERA: Incredible video here out of Northern California. Police body cam footage in the middle of out of control wildfires that have already destroyed nearly 3,000 homes and are blame for the death of a least 37 people. And just watch as this Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy trying to warn people near the city of Santa Rosa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where you at?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over here. Come on!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put on your shoes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's disabled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me get her feet. Let me get her feet. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her husband is behind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sheriff, one step before we do a carry out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: More than 200 people who live in the fire zone are still unaccounted for. Officials just don't know if they got to safety or not.

Seventeen separate wildfires burning at the same time right now. The destruction and the number of casualties make this fire outbreak one of the deadliest disasters in California's history.

CNN's Miguel Marquez is in Sonoma, County right now. And Miguel, just past few minutes, we heard the official death toll from these fires has gone up again.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and there is great concerns of that number of missing means that they're going to find more. As they finally are able to get into those neighborhoods that were destroyed and find more using the search and rescue dogs of other means. Because they just have not had the resources at this point to get in there and now that they're getting a hold of this fire it seems like they are starting to find more and more people. So, it is really concerning.

That video you showed off the top was day one of this. It was about two miles north of where we are. That was the Mark West Neighborhood. This is Oakmont. And this is what's happening now. This is the area where the new evacuations have occurred here. This fire has been just sort of simmering out there for much of the day. The wind was blowing a little stronger earlier today. It is starting to come down now and firefighters had been fighting with everything they have.

Fishwing, aircraft, helicopters, bulldozers and thousands of firefighters have just been pouring in here in tracks. It goes all the way down south to Sonoma, the city of Sonoma. They had emergency evacuations overnight as well. I understand there may have been some structures there that were either damaged or destroy. But they're still trying to figure out. They are very much in the middle of trying to get this fire completely out and just a couple of hours, those red flag warnings stopped so that the winds will come down and the humidity will go up a little bit. Temperatures comes down and it will help firefighters finally get on top of all of these fires -- Ana.

CABRERA: All right. Miguel Marquez, thank you. You'll stay on top of the latest we know.

Coming up, major developments in the Russia probe, President Trump's former chief-of-staff Reince Priebus interviewed by the Special Council's team. We'll tell you who else could be next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:25:49] CABRERA: We're back for the major developments in the Russia probe. For the first time that we know of the Special Counsel has interviewed a member of President Trump's White House inner circle. Reince Priebus, former chief of staff and before that the chairman of the Republican National Committee. I spoke to Robert Mueller's investigators yesterday. Now, as chairman of the RNC, Priebus worked very closely with the Trump campaign and as chief-of- staff, he was a part of major decisions President Trump made including the firings of former FBI Director James Comey and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Now we've previously reported that Mueller is looking into both of those firings. With me to discuss these developments, Washington Bureau Chief for the Chicago Sun Times Lynn Sweet and CNN Global Affairs correspondent Elise Labott.

So, Lynn, sources has said Priebus was often degraded as chief-of- staff, he was lately know to join the Trump train during the campaign. Does Priebus have any loyalty to the president or incentives to protect him?

LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Well, I think Reince Priebus would have an incentive to protect himself from lying to the FBI. Priebus has incentive not to get himself in trouble and to create a whole legal dilemma for himself. So, I would say this is not a matter of loyalty, Ana, it is a matter of having done himself as a cooperating person of great importance to the FBI so he keeps the attention off himself and keeps it there.

So, I don't think this is a matter of loyalty no matter what or how the President treated him. I think he's just somebody that may have a lot to offer to the FBI and will be treated as somebody important as long as he is forthcoming.

CABRERA: And publicly, he's been adamant that there was no collusion between the Trump campaigns and Russia. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS HOST: So no collusion what so ever? Is there anybody involved with Trump and anybody involved with Russia in the 2016 campaign?

REINCE PRIEBUS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: No collusion story, the story is a joke. I don't think, I honestly don't believe there is a lot of people out there that actually believe that campaign people were sitting on telephones and having meetings and passing secret messages trying to figure out how to mess around with the election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Now sources say Mueller still wants to interview other former and current White House officials including former press Secretary Sean Spicer, communications director Hope Hicks, White House Counsel Don McGahn.

Lynn, anything you read into this about where the investigation is headed right now?

SWEET: Well, I think it is headed towards anyone who had any significant time with the President and there is an open debate of whether or not that it would be -- interests and the White House's interest to offer up Trump to talk to investigators sooner than later. This would be a very crucial decision first. And Trump says, he would like this investigation over right away. Well, that then would put him and his lawyers in the pasture of maybe cooperating, offering up an interview that would be very high stakes.

Elise, I want to turn to President Trump's decision of decertify the Iran deal, possibly even terminate it. He said he's doing it because Iran is violating the spirit of the agreement. But the President's own adviser has said publicly that Iran is in compliance. So, let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOSEPH DUNFORD, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: Iran is not in material breach of the agreement. And I do believe the agreement to date has been delayed the development of a nuclear capability by our end.

REX TILLERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE: My view on the nuclear deal is they are in technical compliance of the nuclear arrangement.

SEN. ANGUS KING (R), MAINE: Do you believe it's in our national security interest at the present time to remain in the JCPOA? That's a yes or no question.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Senator, I do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So the President is given Congress 60 days now to come up with a better deal. Elise, what are the chances that Congress can do that and that Iran in the other country and this agreement will even accept it?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it is going to be very difficult if not impossible, Ana. You heard the President's advisers talk about compliance and you have also seen the IAEA, the U.N. nuclear watchdog that's monitoring this deal saying that Iran is in compliance. And not of the countries involved in this deal are interested in reopening. And Iran has said it's a nonstarter.

[17:30:16] So, I think it remains to be seen what Congress is going to do. My understanding is that the parties of the deal have kind of given up on President Trump, given up on the administration and now you have the European's lobby in Congress to say, listen, stay in the deal, we do want to work with you on some of these other areas of Iran's behavior, whether it is a support for terrorism, whether it's the ballistic missile program. They do want to put -- they're willing to talk about what they can do

for when the deal expires. They're not willing to reopen the deal. Diplomats have told me that members of Congress, even members of the Republican leadership understand how fraught this issue is. Nobody is happy that President Trump left it in their laps. But now Congress has the opportunity to move forward and keep the U.S. in the deal and move forward of some of these other areas of Iranian aggression in the region, which I think it is what President Trump's advisers want and those in the region as well.

CABRERA: Elise Labott and Lynne Sweet, thank you both. We have to get to some breaking news in California with the wildfires there.

Governor Jerry Brown and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris are holding a press conference on the wildfires in that state that have already claimed 37 lives. Let's listen as they take some questions.

JERRY BROWN, (D), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: First, and most important, is the assistance of firefighters and the fire engines and helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft doing everything we can to stop the fire. That's number one. Number two, in terms of financial assistance or shelter, housing, that'll be available in -- the FEMA director, the local administrator right here, is here to answer the questions. I think, instead of detailing all the different things, because the law is a bit complicated, I think, you ought to check out with the FEMA and they'll provide answers.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

BROWN: Well, I said listen to whatever the police chief and fire chief tells us. The fire is unpredictable. It depends on the winds and various factors. This is a matter of expert opinion. I would say listen to the authorities as you hear it from the media and don't try to freelance it on your own.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

BROWN: I don't know about getting people back in their homes. But I would just say, first of all, look, some are going back. I guess they used the word repopulation. Thousands are experiencing that situation. I would rather have the fire officials give you the exact number because they can tell you exactly.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

BROWN: First, you got to clear all the mess. That's a big job. Secondly, in building the city and the city or the county should be and I'm sure they will be very responsive. And we do have a complicated set of building rules. But usually, after a disaster like this, building officials are sympathetic. And if there are issues -

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

BROWN: Yes, we'll expedite. If someone has a problem, just call my office. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

BROWN: Go ahead.

Senator Feinstein, I think he --

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN, (D), CALIFORNIA: Oh, yes, there is hope. We have always had to move money from one account to another for wildfires fighting. It is a unique fire because it destroys both. It's destroyed subdivisions, wild places, forests. It showed no favoritism. It just moves. The concerns that I had is how fast the fire have moved. So they have to do a lot of defensive deployment of resources. That's hard to do.

I think, in terms of money, Senator Harris and I are going to put our heads together. I am an appropriator. And I am going to go back and see what we can't do to beef up those accounts to get more money. There is no question that -- I guess Jerry, the governor, this is the worst fire that we have in my lifetime. Is that fair to say?

BROWN: The worst in terms of people hurt and also the buildings destroyed.

[17:35:00] FEINSTEIN: Yes.

So as such, it ought to be treated by such. And I think the dollars have to come. The one good thing is that there is now an ability for individuals to be recompensed up to, I gather, of a total of $32,000. And FEMA can tell you more about that.

I would really urge the press --

CABRERA: All right, we'll pull out of this. We'll continue to listen. We'll bring you more information and highlights from this press conference as they become available. We'll continue to watch. But again, this is on the press conference out of California, as we continue to monitor and learn more of the deadly wildfires. There is at least 37 people have lost their lives. More than 3,000 homes have been destroyed.

Coming up, a critical meeting in the NFL's national anthem saga. The league and players set to meet the controversial protests. Can they reach a solution without rewriting the rules of the game?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:40:24] CABRERA: So after weeks of controversies, the NFL has no plans to mandate that players stand for the national anthem. But it does want to talk to team's owners and players next week in search of a solutions on how to end the protests.

Taking a hardline stance on this issue is Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones. He says emphatically his players must stand and those who don't won't play. That decision was hailed by President Trump, who tweeted, "A big

salute to Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, who'll bench players who disrespects our flag. Stand for anthem of sit for game."

Jones, we should note, donated $1 million to the president's inaugural committee.

President Trump has blasted the NFL for allowing the protests to go on. And this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to all 32 team owners asking them to "support a plan to move past this controversy and to ensure that players stand during the anthem to honor our flag and our country," he writes.

Joining us to discuss, CNN contributor and former NFL player, Donte Stallworth, and sports columnist and commentator, Terence Moore.

And, Donte, first, as a former player, what's your reaction to Jerry Jones' mandate that players stand or he's going to bench them?

DONTE STALLWORTH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It is disheartening. We have talked about it a number of times with players having the right to exercise their First Amendment rights. And so for any NFL owners that wants to do that, it is discouraging. It could tear the team apart, and I am sure that Jerry Jones is aware of. But I think the more important thing is that there is also been owners who have come out and supported the players as well. You have the CEO from San Francisco 49ers, who said, according to Eric Reid, their starting safety, who initially was there with Collin Kaepernick taking a knee at the beginning stages of this last year. Jeb York told him specifically that he would not force players to stand and he would support the players in whatever they want to do. If you remember, a couple weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Indianapolis to play the Colts where you had the vice president, Mike Pence showed up, and everyone agrees it was staged on the taxpayers' dime, costing couple hundred of dollars or maybe more. I am hearing that the 49ers may not kneel tomorrow here in Washington, D.C.

CABRERA: Really? Interesting. Would that be a decision that the team is all agreed upon or what is fueling that?

STALLWORTH: It is stemming from, initially, what the protests have been about from the beginning. That's to raise awareness, and that's to help promote and bring about change and promote change and bring about change in the social issues and a number of issues that players have been speaking about. And what I am hearing from the league's office is they're calling this groundbreaking. And the players have agreed to not kneel for tomorrow specifically because it is not just about police brutality. They are also looking into sex trafficking survivors and also the gender pay gap and looking into housing discriminations.

CABRERA: It sounds like they're passionate about some other issues and they're trying to figure out how to address that.

Let me ask Terence this question. And first, about something the president said earlier this week as he made his weekly address, today, in fact. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Before watching a football game, you want to see those players be proud of our country and respect our flag and respect our national anthem. They will. And we think they will. And we hope they will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Terence, does kneeling still represent a protest of racial injustice or has it now become a protest of the president and his attempt to shut down their freedom of expression?

TERENCE MOORE, SPORTS COLUMNIST & COMMENTATOR: Well, I will tell you what, it is a little bit of both and that brings me to the big picture of what's going on here. This meeting this coming week between the owners and players in New York is going to be huge. I am going to tell you why. I am speaking as a person with an economic degree from Miami of Ohio University. This is all about money. The NFL, the TV ratings have dropped 7 percent compared to last year. President Trump wants us to believe is all because of the kneeling but a lot of this has to do with the hurricane and the Las Vegas shooting and what have you. But the owners are perceiving that the kneeling and the protests are causing a drop in revenue. You remember now, this is a $14 billion industry and the stated goal by Roger Goodell is to double that revenue amount within 10 years. So this meeting is going to be with the owners and the players, meeting together with the owners, gently reminding the players that every 48 cents on the dollar goes to their player's salary. It is going to be more so about that than anything else. Whether or not it works, it stands to be seen.

I think it was interesting that Thursday night's game between the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles, you had the usual suspects with the Eagles Protesting, Malcolm Jenkins with his fist raised in the air, and another teammate and a teammate's support. With no Carolina Panthers protesting. It's as if we are seeing, unfortunately, in my opinion, the things that President Trump has been saying is starting to have an effect on the owners, and the owners are starting to affect the players, and it all comes down to the bottom line.

[17:46:17] CABRERA: Donte, that goes to what you were just telling us about what you're hearing with the 49ers, the team that this protest originated on with Collin Kaepernick, may not kneel this upcoming week. We'll watch it in their game tomorrow. But do you think there is enough trust between the players and owners to come up with some kind of a solution that's unified?

STALLWORTH: I don't totally disagree of what was just said. I don't want to undermine the hard work that players have been engaged in for over a year now. There is a lot of work behind the scenes between players and advocate groups and the NFL and other groups that are interconnected. The players have been working hard on this. The number-one stated goal was to bring awareness to a lot of these issues. Again, it is a broad spectrum of issues. It is not just police brutality and community policing. It is also, again, from what I am hearing from players directly involved in these talk, they're telling me it is about the gender pay gap and housing discrimination. They have so many things that they are interested in and advocating for, and they want the NFL to take ownership, not just the players platform, but also the NFL platform. And that's from what I am hearing is a big conversation.

CABRERA: OK.

MOORE: Can I add something, real quick?

CABRERA: Very quickly, go ahead.

MOORE: There's an easy solution to this and everybody would agree on it. Go back to the future. Part of 2008 and 2009, the players stayed in the locker room during the national anthem. And the only time they stood for national anthem out there in the open was during the Super Bowl. Just go back to that period, everybody is happy, and go on with the rest of your lives.

CABRERA: The controversy is solved.

Thank you so much, Terence Moore and Donte Stallworth. We appreciate your thoughts, guys.

MOORE: Thanks.

CABRERA: Despite the controversy surrounding football, the passion that many Americans have for this national pastime still runs deep. This week's "CNN Hero" is sharing that love of the game with kids who don't get to experience the excitement of the gridiron first hand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAKE MAXWELL, CNN HERO: When you have a child, who is dealing with a life-threatening illness, their treatments or protocol may be two, three years and their tanks starting to drive.

You a big O.U. fan?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I am.

MAXWELL: Awesome.

Our game day experiences provide an opportunity for a family to get out as a family, just being there together. And days like this, they really motivate the kids to continue their fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: To see more of that story, go to CNNheroes.com.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:53:22] CABRERA: Breaking news out of Hollywood, where disgraced

movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein, has been expelled from one of the most prestigious groups in the industry, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the people who award the Oscars. This comes after at least four women accused Weinstein of rape and dozens more, among them, actress who have alleged everything from harassment to sexual assault. Now Weinstein has denied the allegations, saying through his attorney, he believes all the encounters were consensual.

We now have a statement from the Academy. The board of governors commenting on the reason they expelled him, saying, "We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues, but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over. What's at issue here is a deeply troubling problem that has no place in our society. The board continues to work to establish ethical standards of conduct that all academy members will be expected to exemplify."

We'll have much more on this breaking story coming up at 8:00 p.m., here on CNN.

Meantime, he's been all over the world. But in tomorrow's episode of "PARTS UNKNOWN," Anthony Bourdain visits a city the likes of which he has never seen before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, three, four.

(MUSIC)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: Nigeria, it took us a long time to get here. I don't know why we weren't here before. But the city of Lagos, 20 million people live here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lagos is the melting pot of Nigeria, even Africa.

[17:55:06] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All kinds of things are happening here. Everything is cramped into this small ecosystem. And it works. That's the amazing thing about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You see people making shoes, making watches, creating things and actually selling them. Nobody does any one job in this city.

BOURDAIN: They say you have to have three houses?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BOUDRAIN: Very entrepreneurial society. There's a lot of magical thinking going on.

(LAUGHTER)

It's mad, it's bad, it's delicious, it's confusing -- (LAUGHTER)

-- and I've never seen anything like it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Experience it tomorrow, at 9:00 p.m. eastern, here on CNN.

I'm Ana Cabrera, in New York. I'll see you two hours from now.

"SMERCONISH" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)