Hello, again. Im fredricka whitfield. These stories are topping the news this hour. The owner of the nbas Atlanta Hawks says hes selling the team. The reason . An email he sent that he calls inappropriate and offensive. Well tell you what it said coming up. And president barack obama prepares to give a speech to the nation on the isis threat and what he plans to do about it. He gave a hint of his game plan today. Well have details this hour. And later, remembering a comic legend. Alist celebrities pack the funeral of the late joan rivers. Hear why friends and family say the service is exactly what the comedian would have wanted. We begin with a huge shock for the nba. Another one of its owners will lose his franchise because of comments involving race. Atlanta hawks controlling owner Bruce Levenson announced hes voluntarily selling his team after grappling with low attendance at hawks games, he says he sent an email in 2012 that sent unintentional and hurtful message that the hawks white fans are more valuable than black fans. And we have that email. Heres a transcription of part of what he said. I look around our arena during games and notice its 70 black, cheerleaders are black, music is hiphop. At the bars its 90 black. There are few fathers and sons at the games. My theory is the black crowd scared away the whites and theres not enough affluent black fans to build a significant season ticket base. Please dont get me wrong. There was nothing threatening going on in the arena back then. I never felt uncomfortable. I think southern whites simply were not comfortable being in an arena or at a bar where they were in the minority. Nba commissioner adam silver commended levenson for selfreporting this email to the league. Silver said in a statement i come mr. Levenson for selfreporting and being fully cooperative with the league and its independent investigator and for putting the best interest of the hawks, the Atlanta Community and nba first. So all of this was volunteered from the emails, sending it to the nba, asking the nba to further investigate but then, you know, he didnt wait for the final decision from the nba. He said i go ahead and remove myself from the equation. That seems to be what has played out. This email was sent in 2012 to two of his coowners. Theres a group of partners that own the Atlanta Hawks and hes one of seven. We believe he has controlling interest. We dont actually know what percentage his share is. This email was sent to two of his coowners. Two other partners like him were based outside of atlanta working in washington d. C. This summer in july in the wake of the Donald Sterling scandal, he then reports himself to it the nba and they decide to set up an independent investigation into this issue and before they even concluded, he said, well, im selling my stake in the team. And why do people believe that is the case . Well, that seems to be whats happened. Quite what his motive would be for why would he want to sell . Why would he want to report himself in this way . Remember, he was one of the most outspoken critics of Donald Sterling in the wake of the scandal towards the end of the last nba season. He even appeared on this network to say that he couldnt work with somebody like Donald Sterling and the other owners could vote me out if i was to behave in a similar way. So its very, very interesting that it played out in this way. I think the league is probably relieved that its not been dragged through the mud because it was an awful summer for the nba and its reputation and Donald Sterling did not go quietly. This one seems to be playing out very differently. Is there a way of knowing how long this kind of transaction would take . Im giving up my stake. How quickly would it go on sale . Do we know time line . I would imagine if he wants to put it up for sale, that process would begin immediately. I mean, with the lakers it dragged out over a couple of months but for a business deal involving 2 billion, that probably wasnt that long a period of time. That might have been done quicker had sterling not fought the nba on the issue. It remains to be seen what the hawks are worth and what his stakes are worth. Forbes says its one of the least valuable franchises in the nba. Depends on what his stake is. They estimated that the clippers were worth less than 600 million and they went for 2 billion. Remarkable. Thanks so much. Its just kind of the tip of the iceberg. It is very strange. Theres still lots of questions and we dont have them all all of the answers just yet. Appreciate it. Now to our other big story. A Major Development in the fight against isis. President Barack Obama Says hes prepared to outline his plans for defeating the terror group. In a speech on wednesday hell explain what he is calling his game plan on isis. This morning on meet the press the president gave a preview of what to expect. Were not looking at sending in hundred thousand american troops. We are going to be as part of an International Coalition carrying out air strikes in support of work on the ground by iraqi troops, kurdish troops. We are going to help to put together a plan for them so that they can start retaking territory that isil had taken over. What i want people to understand though is that over the course of months, we are going to be able to not just blunt the momentum of isil, we are going to systematically degrade their capabilities. Were going to shrink the territory that they control and ultimately were going to defeat them. Erin mcpike joining me live from the white house. Tell us more about what should be expected this week. How much detail will the president likely reveal . There are a couple of Big Questions that still loom very large over this speech. The first one is will president obama seek congressional authorization on whatever it is that he plans to do . At this point hes said that he wants lawmakers involved. He wants their input. He wants their support but that could simply mean that he wants lawmakers to be basically ambassadors of his message and not necessarily put it to a vote and of course some members of congress may not want to be on the record for a vote on this. Just a couple months before the midterm elections. I want you to listen to that part of the interview where he talks about that. What im going to be asking the American People to understand is number one, this is a serious threat. Number two, we had the capacity to deal with it. Heres how were going to deal with it. I am going to be asking congress to make sure that they understand and support what our plan is. And its going to require some resources i suspect above what we are currently doing. Reporter whether or not he puts it to a vote will be a big controversial issue either way Going Forward throughout the week. Now, the thing he said at the top of that clip was he wants americans to understand why this is a serious threat but i would point out that we dont really know what the American Public thinks about this because theres been virtually no polling. He has to make his case and we dont know what the fine print of this strategy is going to look like. Will there be air strikes inside syria . We already know there will be no boots on the ground but what will that strategy look like . We hope that this speech will answer those questions, fred. We do indeed. Thank you so much. Erin mcpike. That speech on wednesday. And now, the funeral for legendary comic joan rivers. Family and friends bid a final farewell to the 80yearold comedian today in new york. We go to the jewish temple where the private service was held. Reporter a star studded ceremony to remember joan rivers, a comedy legend. Her friends say it was exactly the kind of service that she would have wanted and in many respects it was the kind of service that she had really planned. It was filled with famous faces. The new York City Police departments bagpipes and drums came out saluting joan rivers by playing new york, new york and give my regards to broadway. Plenty of friends from hollywood filled this temple. Howard stern was cracking jokes inside during the ceremony and dear friends like Deborah Norville who spoke about rivers inside and also speaking columnist cindy adams, a long time friend of joan rivers. People inside by invitation only say that the ceremony was upbeat and that it was uplifting and there was plenty of opportunities to laugh and that that is really the way to honor joan rivers. Joan went through life believing that people who laugh are happy. Her mission in life was to make people happy. I got to tell you, i dont know how many blocks it goes down here but she would be so thrilled to see how many blocks are filled with people who wish her well. Shes up there loving every minute of it. Reporter another request of hers had been that hugh jack hajackman would perform at her funeral and he did perform smile something that put a smile on everyones face during what would have been a sad occasion but a time to remember a great comedy legend. In new york, alexandria field. We saw the comedian had many Close Friends in hollywood including Carol Burnett. I got the chance to talk to Carol Burnett about her friend joan rivers. I asked her about the last time that she was in touch with rivers. The last time i spoke with her and this will tell you that joan off stage, she was the opposite of the persona that she presented. I had to put my little pet cat down. She was 15 years old and it was awful when you have to lose a pet. Its like losing part of your family. Thats your child. She said i had to put one of my dogs down and what saved my life is i got another Little Critter to love. Thats what you need. You need another Little Critter to love. They shared a lot of laughs together. Well have more on rivers amazing Ground Breaking career later on this hour. Could the u. S. And iran Work Together as allies . The battle against isis could actually make that happen. You start at point a and spend your time working hard to get to point b. And b could be here. Or even here. But for you, b is not the end. Capella university will help take you further, because our competencybased curriculum is designed for your profession, to move you forward to where you want to be. Your point c. Capella university. Start your journey at capella. Edu. As we heard, president barack obama saying earlier today that the u. S. Will continue to use air strikes against isis. The latest round was launched near the haditha dam, iraqs second largest. Defense secretary chuck hagel talked about why the dam is so critical. If that dam would fall into isils hands or if that dam would be destroyed, the damage that would cause would be very significant and it would put a significant additional and big risk into the mix in iraq, which would also risk our interests as well. This is not the first attempt by isis to take control of the dam but iraqi forces have been in control the whole time. The fight to put down the isis insurgents created strange allies on the battlefield. The u. S. And iran have been enemies over many issues but now they are coming together over a common enemy. Brian todd explains. Reporter in the northern iraqi town amerli, iraqs president acknowledges a combination of u. S. Air strikes and iranian shiites on the ground drove isis away. Is there any cooperation or coordination between the u. S. And iran against ice snsiisis . An iranian official deny as report that irans Supreme Leader approved cooperation between his forces and the americans against isis. Specifically the report says he sanctioned a general, the shadowy head of the revolutionary guard to work with u. S. Forces. He may look like george clooney. Hes a mild mannered man but he has done a very effective job at organizing the most brutal thugs that Islamic Republic has. Reporter this photo posted on twitter by a group called digital resistance is him on the ground in amerli among the time of the siege. As soon as you sit down with him, youre sitting down with someone who has the blood of americans on his hands. Reporter u. S. Officials believe during the iraq war, his units provided iraqi insurgents with a Lethal Weapon against american troops. His force provided these vast explosive devices that penetrated the armor on american vehicles and as a result killed an awful lot of americans. Reporter despite their hatred of isis, other reasons why an alliance may not work . Lets remember we want Bashar Al Assad out. We want a more inclusive government in baghdad. Iran would prefer a shia government. Reporter theres also the matter of the dangerous reach beyond the middle east. He was involved in a plot on american soil. Overseeing officers who in 2011 tried and failed to assassinate saudi arabias ambassador to the United States right here at washingtons upscale cafe. Brian todd, cnn, washington. All right. Thanks so much. Next week you probably have heard about the cnn fit nation led by our dr. Sanjay gupta. A big triathlon in malibu. Im going to be along the ride on this big challenge. Swimming, biking. Ill tell you more coming up next. [ female announcer ] you get sick, you cant breathe through your nose. Suddenly youre a mouthbreather. Well, put on a breathe right strip and instantly open your nose up to 38 more than cold medicines alone. So you can breathe and sleep. Shut your mouth and sleep right. Breathe right. Were changing the way we do business, with startup ny. So you can breathe and sleep. Weve created tax free zones throughout the state. And startup ny companies will be investing hundreds of millions of dollars in jobs and infrastructure. Thanks to startup ny, businesses can operate tax free for 10 years. No property tax. No business tax. And no sales tax. Which means more growth for your business, and more jobs. Its not just business as usual. 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Biking hundreds of miles and running farther than they ever thought possible. Today were going to do a 400yard swim in the ocean. Reporter with hard work comes rewards. Theyre healthier physically and mentally. Connies breakthrough, its not all about the scale. If weight loss would have been my only goal this year, i may have quit within the first few weeks. This experience has given me so much more than weight loss. Its given me strength. Confidence, endurance, new friends, new sports, lots of spandex and a great tan. Mike learned how to balance his new healthy lifestyle. The structure i have in my life now is amazing. I plan my meals a week ahead of time. Karen now makes herself a priority. I have learned to listen and take care of my body with proper sleep and nutrition. Ron learned that age really is just a number. Age does not define who i am or what i can do. Its simply a mile post along the journey of my life. He beat cancer and he got his confidence back. Im capable of the same things they may take me longer. The sooner i made peace with the new normal, easier i was on myself. Last but not least its important to have your family and friends onboard. Their involvement is critical to your success. Shes right. Getting the support of those around you is an absolute must. All right. And they are indeed all inspirations and so are you, sanjay. I took him up on the challenge to join the group, the cnn fit nation team. Ill be in malibu next weekend hoping that my swimming, biking and running training allows me to at least keep up. My only expectation is that i finish. I cant promise you what kind of shape ill be in when i cross that finish line. But i will see you at the beach and well be right back. This is kathleen. Setting up the perfect wedding day begins with arthritis pain and two pills. Afternoon arrives and feeling good, but her knee pain returns. Thats two more pills. The evenings event brings laughter, joy, and more pain. When jamie says. Whats that like six pills today . Yeah. I can take 2 aleve for all day relief. Really, and. And thats it. This is kathleen. For my arthritis pain, i now choose aleve. Get all day arthritis pain relief with an easyopen cap. Eenie. Meenie. Miney. Go. More adventures await in the sevenpassenger lexus gx. See your lexus dealer. Bottom of the hour. Im fredricka whitfield. Here are some of the top stories were following. Bruce levenson announced hes voluntarily selling his controlling interest in the nba team. Levenston says his decision is based in part on inappropriate and offensive comments in an email he wrote back in 2012. Levenson said he made assumptions about fans and nba should have no tolerance for racism. He says hes embarrassed and apologized to the team and its fans. The u. S. Coast guard called off Recovery Efforts for a private plane which crashed off ja jamaica. A debris field was found but unable to find survivors. The aircraft plunged into the caribbean on friday hours after air Traffic Controllers could not make contact with the pilot. The plane was flying from new york to florida. Intense flooding in south asia left more than 250 people dead and dozens more injured or missing. One of the hardest hit countries is india where 2,000 villages have been affected. Officials say homes are destroyed. Bridges and roads have been washed away and power and Water Systems are crippled. An american detained in north korea soon will learn his fate in a north korean court. Matthew miller says he is going on trial next sunday. Hes asking the u. S. Government to help free him. Hes accused of tearing up his tourist visa and seeking asylum upon entry. Will ripley asked him what he wanted to tell u. S. Officials. That my situation is very urgent. Very soon im going to trial and i would directly be sent to prison. I think this interview is my final chance to push the American Government into helping me. Reporter if its your final chance, what do you want to tell them that you havent already said . That i need help and they need to quickly make movement because theres not much time. And this morning shelling hit areas near two key cities in Eastern Ukraine intensifying fears that a ceasefire that took effect less than two days ago may be falling part. Lets get more from reza sayah. When you have a fragile ceasefire, first thing you want to see is peace and calm but that hasnt been the case in parts of the conflict zone in southeast ukraine. Weve seen several instances of weapons being fired and shellings and that obviously raises a lot of questions about the durability of this ceasefire. The first significant flareup came last night about 10 30 p. M. Right outside the critical port city where over the past week theres been a tense standoff where on one side you have prorussian rebels and on the other side youve had ukrainiang this city. There was shelling that destroyed a gas station and injured several people. A cnn crew was at this very same scene this morning where they witnessed more mortar fire and more gun fire and several more people were injured and a 33yearold woman was killed. The first fatality during this ceasefire. The cnn crew managed to escape. Troops and bystanders who were there managed to flee as well. In other locations of the conflict zone, more instances of shelling and firing. Its not clear who is doing the shooting. Both sides are blaming one another, which makes it very difficult to figure out whats happening. We should point out that on both sides of this conflict, there are radical elements who may not abide by the chain of command and may want to sabotage the ceasefire. Its not clear if thats whats happening. It certainly could be a possibility. These are all troubling developments. Weve also seen some positive developments. Neither side declared the ceasefire is dead and on sunday russian president Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone with ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko who say they are going to get to more discussions to address core issues and core demands that have yet to be resolved. Fred . All right. Reza sayah, thank you so much in kiev. Moving on to california which is facing one of the worst droughts on record. More than 80 of the state in desperate need of water trying to save every drop possible. The before and after photos of lakes and rivers really do tell the story. Heres cnns dan simon. Reporter a healthy and full lake in northern california. Theres only one problem. This picture is three years old. And now im walking on top of that very same bridge. Take a look. It is a virtual desert. This is what drought looks like in the state of california. Heres another before and after side by side. And just when the drought couldnt seem any worse, new Research Indicates that the depletion of ground water in the state may actually trigger earthquakes. More on that in a moment. First, this is lake orville. A boaters paradise at least when its full. More importantly, its a reservoir storing water ultimately piped into homes and for agriculture helping to grow much of the nations fruits and vegetables. We have 167 miles of shoreline. Reporter john took us on a boat to see that shoreline and its even more astounding up close. The lake seems more like a narrow river. The drought has created a canyon. A hillside of rock thats normally covered by water. The water level is down by more than 200 feet. Its a common sight throughout the state. Most of californias major reservoirs are less than half full. What would we be seeing . We would see the water halfway up that hillside at this time of the year. Reporter more than 80 of the state is either in the extreme or exceptional category. Highest levels. It has meant things like no showers or Running Water for several communities, an increase in wildfires, brown and neglected lawns and parks and farmers losing their crops. Its dead. Our product is dead. Reporter Jesse Rodriguez grows table grapes and estimate hell lose 40 of his crop due to the drought. The water is a main thing here. Without water we cannot survive. Reporter with low reservo reservoirs, farmers have to pump water out of the ground and theres new information from researchers who believe that a depletion of groundwater could destabilize the infamous fault and trigger earthquakes. Removing so much weight in the form of ground water causes the earth to spring upward and the change in pressure can cause those quakes. Earthquakes are these mysterious things that happen under our feet so having a way for people to cause these earthquakes to happen is unsettling. Reporter experts say the quakes would be small and unlikely to cause any damage. Still, its yet another example of why this drought is causing so much stress to both the land and the Mental Wellbeing of nearly an entire state. Dan simon, cnn, california. The third american missionary infected with deadly ebola virus is improving. Dr. Rick sacra is being treated in omaha. His wife says hes still very sick and weak but has improved slightly. Enough to ask for a Little Chicken soup. We wish him well. President obama told nbcs meet the press the u. S. Must fight ebola now or face longterm risks. Were going to have to get u. S. Military assets just to set up isolation units and equipment there to provide security for Public Health workers surging around the world. If we do that, its still going to be months before this problem is controllable in africa but it shouldnt reach our shores. If we dont make that effort now and this spreads not just through africa but other parts of the world, theres the prospect then that the virus mutates and it becomes more easily transmittable and then it could be a serious danger to the United States. According to the world health organization, this latest Ebola Outbreak sickened more than 3,600 people in five african countries since december. Of those, 1,800 have died. Another virus is spreading fast across several states and its hitting kids hard. What you can can do to keep you kids from getting sick. Now to colorado, where parents in the denver area are on high alert. Doctors suspect a rare respiratory virus is making hundreds of children sick landing some in intensive care. Colorado is the latest state where doctors are seeing signs of what resembles virus d68. Health officials in nine other states from North Carolina to oklahoma have also reported suspected outbreaks. Mark stewart with our affiliate kmgh has the latest on the denver cases. A couple days ago i couldnt breathe at all. Reporter the oxygen mask is a necessity. My head started hurting after my lungs started sort of closing up. Reporter 18yearold will almost didnt make it. White as a ghost. Blue lips. He just passed out. Had his eyes roll back in his head. I had to call 911. Reporter now at Rocky Mountain hospital for children, will is likely dealing with virus 68 making breathing challenging and takes around the clock treatment to overcome. Will was at risk because he already deals with asthma yet doctors say all kids under five are also prone to the virus that first appears as the common cold. To go from a cold to being probably minutes away from death is kind of scary. Reporter despite the tubes, this eighth grader is on the mend. I feel better than i did before. Reporter his family sharing their story hoping parents will Pay Attention physical theres an all clear. Thats very scary. We have Elizabeth Cohen here to help us understand had virus and how to combat it and where is it . We just heard whats going on in colorado. There are nine other states that have asked the centers for Disease Control for help in combatting their clusters. Lets take a look at this map. Sort of midwest and southeast areas. I want to tell you about Childrens Hospital in kansas city. These numbers are really stunning. In less than one month, theyve had 475 children test positive for this virus. Most of them ended up in the hospital and 60 of them in intensive care. 60 children in intensive care in one hospital in less than a month some of those children needed to be on ventilators to breathe for them. Why is this happening . What is it about this season and why this virus kind of breeds or does well in this season . We usually think of winter as the viral season. For this virus, its late summer and early fall and usually its not a big deal. If you ever had a summer cold, that was probably enterovirus but theres something about this d68 time that is more but theyre not sure. I was speaking to the cdc and why now . Why this year has it bloomed like this . He said we dont know. This type has been around for quite a while. We dont know why its blossomed this year. Its impacting mostly children. What do parents need to know about how they protect their kids from getting this virus or what do you do . How do you read the symptoms properly . First of all, you should be particularly vigilant if your child has asthma or history of asthma. That child we saw in that story has asthma and makes it difficult. Here are signs you can look for. It really does start out as looking like a common cold. They can have a cough and difficulty breathing. Sometimes a fever. Sometimes wheezing. If looks like a cold, thats okay. Stay on it and watch it if it is more difficult if the child is having more difficulty, really be vigilant. Wash hands often. Avoid touching your eyes and nose and mouth with your hands if you havent washed them. Avoid contact with people who are sick. And disinfect surfaces. All of the same stuff you heard before. Do common things you would do to try to protect yourself from anything. All right. Elizabeth cohen, thanks so much. Appreciate it. No matter who wins, history will be made at the mens final at the u. S. Open. Its also why these japanese fans are so excited. Thats excitement. Well go live to flushing meadows next. [ female announcer ] we help make secure financial tomorrows a reality for over 19 million people. [ mom ] with life insurance, were not just insuring our lives. Were helping protect his. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. Transamerica. Transform tomorrow. Transamerica. Where the reward was that what if tnew car smelledit card and the freedom of the open road . A card that gave you that im 16 and just got my first car feeling. Presenting the buypower card from capital one. Redeem earnings toward part or even all of a new chevrolet, buick, gmc or cadillac with no limits. So every time you use it, youre not just shopping for goods. Youre shopping for something great. Learn more at buypowercard. Com this is holly. Her long day of Outdoor Adventure starts with knee pain. And a choice. Take 6 tylenol in a day or just 2 aleve for all day relief. Onward upsets at u. S. Open and that has set up a historic mens final. Cnns sports andy scholes in the open in flushing meadows, new york. Theyll be making history no matter who wins, right . Thats right. It will be tomorrow night. Everyone yesterday pencinged in Roger Federer versus djokovic, number one versus number two. The exact opposite ended up happening. Instead, Kei Nishikori pulled off a huge upset, knocking out djokovic from the tournament, outlasted him in four sets the first asianborn player ever to make it to a grant slam final hes arguably playing best tennis of in. Knocked out the fifth seed, third seed and top seeded djokovic. Equally big surprise who hes taken, marin cilic who destroyed federer in straight sets. Big surprise there federer had been 50 against cilic coming into the match. As you said, youll see history tomorrow. Big surprise who is taking on each other in the mens final. Chi chilli cilic. Its going to be an exciting match though we wont have big names in the match. Exciting. Meantime, the women, i say always exciting for the finals. This same with Serena Williams against her good friend, wozniak. Uhoh. Yeah, thats right. Interesting dynamic in this match. Its going to take place here in a few minutes. You know, theyll be enemies tonight but in real thrive theyre really, really good friends. Rory mcilroy, superstar golf, broke off his engagement, serena in the middle of planning wozniackis bachelorette party. The breakup brought serena and wozniacki closer. They hung out a lot after that, wozniacki looked at serena for support. Though theyre close, serenas not Holding Anything back on court later today. Shes on a mission. She hasnt lost a set this year at the u. S. Open looking to make history. She can be the first person since chris evert in the 70s to win three straight u. S. Open titles. If she wins today, also her 18th grand slam title tie wher with everett and nav rill love va. It should be a great match. Theyll be friends, no matter what the outcome. Its going to be an exciting match for sure later on today. Well be watching. You keep us up to date on the outcome. Thanks so much, from flushing meadows. Joan rivers got a big sendoff today in a funeral complete with a red carpet. Next we look back at her incredible career and how those who knew her will remember her. Man [ laughs ] those look like baby steps now. But they were some pretty good moves. And the best move of all . Having the right partner at my side. Its so much better that way. [ male announcer ] have the right partner at your side. Consider an aarp Medicare Supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. Go long. Insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. Ooooohh what it is, what you want . Yeah. Live your life right make the beat the bump the undeniable come into the party in a bboy stance i rock on the mic and make the world wanna dance fly like a dove that come from up above im rocking on the mic and you can call me mos love ooooohh yeah yeah. Yeah yeah. Joan rivers funeral was held today in new york. Shes being remembereds a trail blaze for women comedians in standup clubs and of course on television. Long before there was ellen, whoopee or rosy, there was joan. Her move to stardom came on late night tv. Heres tom foreman. Reporter in the quiet rain of 50s and 60s comics, almost all men, almost always polite, joan rivers was a thunder clap. When we first started dating hed run around, open the car, and then we got engaged and wed each open our own door. Now that were married me makes me run around and open his door. Reporter in the early days she wasnt allowed to do standup with Johnny Carson but forced to sit alongside. Earlier appearances seemed tame but part of the flood of richard pryor, woody allen, george car lynn, a new type of comedy, more personal, more cutting, and she was a woman. A girl, youre 30, youre not married, youre an old maid. A man, hes 90 years old here not married, hes a catch. Its a whole different reporter this is why in new york, los angeles, and everyone where in between the tributes continue to pour in. I knew her and i loved her and i dont know what to say. Its shocking. It just happened. Reporter on the late night circuit where rivers rose to fame and talk about guts, she would sit in the chair and say things unbelievable. Yeah. Just where you have to swallow pretty hard and twice, but it was hilarious. She would come out and say what you were thinking, you wouldnt say it. You would stop but she wouldnt stop, shed say. She came out and she came over to me and she started crying. Gave me a kiss. It was emotional. Really nice. Reporter no ones saying more than the women who know she paved the way for generations. I know if she was here, she would want us to be here, be funny and say like, nice tie, who made it calvin clown . I like that shirt, does it come in mens . Oh my god, jimmy, i love your hair, you have to tell me where you bought it. Thats for you, joan. Reporter online, endless notes. Christian chenowith you made us laugh and happy. Bet mid der one of the bravest and funniest of all. Laverne cox, you brought me a lifetime of laughter. Rivers often acted as if her lifetime was no big deal, even in her final performance joking about death. Like, i could go like that. Do you understand how lucky you would be . Do you understand youd have something to talk about for the rest of your life . Reporter but she knew what she had done. As she wrote in 2012 for the hollywood reporter, what pleasure you feel when youve kept people happy . Theres nothing like it in the world