Transcripts For CNNW CNN Newsroom With Fredricka Whitfield 20180826

Hero. Mccain endured more challenges than most could imagine during his lifetime and never let it break his spirit. He thrived on fighting for a cause larger than himself. Mccain also was a fierce champion for democracy during his decades in the u. S. Senate and was unafraid to call out his colleagues and demand a higher standard of conduct from all of them. Weve been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle. Thats an approach thats been employed by both sides, mandating legislation from the top down, without any support from the other side, with all the parliamentary maneuvers that requires. Were getting nothing done, my friends. Were getting nothing done. Mccain was a courageous leader, a loyal friend, and an inspiration to so many. He also had many brushes with death over the years, surviving plane crashes, several bouts of skin cancer, and more than five years as a prisoner of war in vietnam, including part of it in solitary confinement. But to no surprise, even while battling brain cancer, mccain embodied bravery in every sense of the word. Every life has to end one way or another. I think it was a playwrite. He said, i always thought id live forever, but i think there might be one exception. Im very happy with my life. Im very happy with what ive been able to do. Theres two ways of looking at these things. One of them is to celebrate. I am able to celebrate a wonderful life. And today we are celebrating and honoring mccains life and legacy from arizona to capitol hill. Well get reaction from washington in just a moment. First, lets start in his home state of arizona. Cnns Senior National correspondent keung la is in phoenix. The senator actually planned his own funeral services. So what are you able to share with us . Reporter well, fredricka, so much of this battle he had with this disease, from the diagnosis to the yearlong battle, happened in the public space. But privately, he was planning his own funeral over the last year. As friends would come to visit him at his arizona ranch, the senator would say what he wanted and what he wanted is what will be unfolding. There will be a total of three services, one here in arizona, a public remembrance, as well as a funeral service. There will be one at the National Cathedral in washington, d. C. And then in annapolis, where his military career began. And here in arizona, a solemn procession began last night, beginning all of this. The hearse moving slowly with the senators body leaving his beloved ranch. It traveled 100 miles here to phoenix. As the procession passed these desert roads, through some of the more Populated Areas of phoenix, people started coming out. They wanted to see it. This was not something that was publicly made available anywhere, but people found out. They wanted to wave flags. As the hearse arrived at the funeral home, people were there to greet it to say thank you and farewell. Here live now in arizona, you can see the flags have been lowered in honor of the senator. The senators body will lie in state here at arizonas capitol. It will lie in state on wednesday. Wednesday is also senator mccains 82nd birthday. The governor making this announcement on twitter. Governor doocy saying this is a rare and distinct occurrence for a truly special man. John mccain is arizona, and we will honor his life in every way we can. For those of us who watch national politics, this man was a powerful national voice, but here in arizona, he was a favorite son. He followed Barry Goldwaters seat. He took the mantle from barry goldwater. People serving in politics now in this state, who grew up in this state, simply do not remember a time before there was a john mccain. So the amount of loss and grief that is being shared on both sides of the aisle here in arizona a hard to express, according to many people ive spoken to. Kyung lah, thank you so much for that. Senator mccain was first elected to congress back in 1982 and to the senate four years later. His colleagues on both sides of the aisle are feeling the loss. Arizona senator jeff flake got emotional speaking with jake tapper this morning. He told us, taught us, to put the country above yourself, to serve a cause greater than yourself. That, i think, came from his experience in vietnam and certainly came from what he saw with the tragedies of war. But he was a lover of freedom, and he wanted to spread that and was an advocate to the end of strong american leadership, never apologizing for america and its values. Thats something that he leaves with us. Im going to miss him. Yeah. I ive admired him, like i said, my entire life. Its tough to imagine a Senate Without him. Its tough to imagine politics without john mccain. But we need to go on. In an oped shortly after mccain died, senator flake reflected on his early days in congress when he was facing some political backlash and wrote, in the midst of my inner tu multi, on a flight from washington to arizona, senator mccain made his way back to my seat with a stern look on his face. Oh, no, i thought, not him too. He stuck his finger in my chest and demanded, dont back down, youre in the right. Theyll come around. It was all that i needed. Cnns Phil Mattingly joins me right now. So talk to me about how other members of congress, those in both houses, are reacting and what theyre saying about senator mccain. Reporter fredricka, i think what ive been struck by most in talking to members, texting members and their staff, is how stinging this loss has been felt around washington, d. C. Not because of the man himself but because everybody knew this was coming for a long period of time. Obviously hes been away from the u. S. Senate for about nine months now, kind of been preparing for this moment. Yet, still people are just pained today. The way theyre sharing their stories, their personal stories about the man, about what he meant to the institution, about what he meant to the ideas of america, just shows the real impact that he had. Theres also the humorous stories as well. Ive had a number of people talk to me about how senator Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell used to joke to senator mccain, who battled often, that mccains vietnamese captors were still in Group Therapy sessions for having to deal with him for five years. Its been an interesting mix of back and forth. I thought somebody who perhaps put it best was the democratic leader in the United States senate, chuck schumer. Take a listen. You dont meet many great men as you go through life. John mccain was one of them. For his patriotism, for his strength, for his ability to speak truth to power, and for him to do personal acts of kindness quietly over and over again. I want generations in the senate and in the world to remember him. So im introducing a resolution to rename the Russell Senate Office Building after john mccain. Id like decades from now little children to ask their parents who was john mccain, and theyll explain his sacrifice, his patriotism, and most of all his fidelity to do the right thing as he saw it, and when he did the wrong thing, to change. Fredricka, i think that was one of the biggest things you constantly heard, that senator mccain, you obviously knew where he stood, but when he decided hed done something he didnt agree with himself, he would admit it and acknowledge it and move on from it. That, more than anything else, engendered a level of respect you dont see anywhere else in washington at this moment. And then, phil, no one can replace senator mccain. But his seat will remain vacant. The governor, has he made any comment about what and how theyll proceed . Yeah, governor doug ducey, a difficult spot to be in, said hell make no announcements about a replacement until senator mccain is laid to rest. Hell have the ability to appoint someone to the seat who will serve until the next general election, that would be 2020. So no names yet. The governor waiting respectfully until senator mccain is laid to rest. Then that announcement will be made. All right. Phil mattingly, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Senator mccains children are also remembering their father. Mccains daughter meghan released a very emotional farewell to her dad just moments after his passing. I want to take a minute to read a portion of her very heartfelt statement. She titled her goodbye i love you forever, my beloved father. She goes on to say, i was with my father at his end, as he was with me at my beginning. In the 33 years we shared together, he raised me, taught me, corrected me, comforted me, encouraged me, and supported me in all things. He loved me, and i loved him. He taught me how to live. His love and his care ever present, always unfailing, took me from a girl to a woman, and he showed me what it is to be a man. All that i am is thanks to him. Now that he has gone, the task of my lifetime is to live up to his example, his expectations, and his love. Your prayers for his soul and for our family are sincerely appreciated. My father is gone, and i miss him as only an adoring daughter can. But in this loss and in this sorrow, i take comfort in this. John mccain, hero of the republic and to this little girl, wakes today to something more glorious than anything on this earth. Today the warrior enters his true and eternal life, greeted by those who have gone before him, rising to meet the author of all things. Meghan mccain ends the letter with a quote from the author c. S. Lewis. The dream has ended, this is the morning. Mccains son jack sent out a statement on twitter saying this. It is not the man that was great, but instead it was his desire to serve a cause greater than himself that defined his life. To me, he was a giant. But to him, he was an imperfect servant of the nation he loved deeply. Fair winds following seas and clear skies. The maverick may be gone, but his legacy will live on forever. Cnn continues to remember the life of senator john mccain, a war hero. Here he is in his own words on whats waiting for him in the afterlife. Well be back in a moment. Id like to go back to our valley and see the creek run after the run and hear the cotton woods whisper in the wind. I want to smell the rosescented breeze and feel the sun on my shoulders. I want to watch the hawks hunt from the sycamore and then take my leave bound for a place near my old friend chuck larson in the cement tear on the severn back where it began. People confuse nice and kind. 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As we remember and honor the life of senator john mccain, we want to take a moment to remember his humor as well. Known for quick wit and oneliners, senator mccain never missed an opportunity to bring laughter to a room. Are you someone who likes fine jewelry and also respects a politician who can reach across the aisle . If so, you cant go wrong with mccain fine gold. Weve talked about it. I told him maverick i can do, but messiah is above my pay grade. How does it make you feel, knowing that voters may reject you because they feel youre too old to be president . Wake up, sir. Theres a statute of limitations on sarah palin questions. By the way, thanks for keep mentioning about me losing. I appreciate that. I have this line, after i lost, i slept like a baby. Sleep two hours, wake up and cry, sleep two hours, wake up and cry. Being a friend and colleague of barack, i just called him fat one. He doesnt mind at all. In fact, he even has a pet name for me. George bush. Any advice for donald trump . I gave up on that some time ago. I dont want to talk about the bleeping campaign, understand . If you think im going to go back to that bleeping situation, then bleep you. Okay, thank you. Thanks for the question, you little jerk. Joining me right now, cnn Global Affairs analyst max boote a longtime friend and colleague. You met the senator back in 2002. What were your First Impressions . Does humor come to the top of the list . Absolutely. His humor is very real. He was very irreverent. He was not somebody who took himself overly seriously, unlike most politicians. In fact, a lot of his appeal was the fact he was not a normal politician. Unlike donald trump, he did not have to demonstrate his authenticity by vilifying people or by saying ignorant or deranged things. He was always a gentleman, but he also had that kind of caustic wit, some of which you showed before. I think there are other elements of him which were less well known, including the fact he was a great reader of history. Thats how we first met. He read a book id written and wanted to talk about it. He read all the time. People dont realize that. He traveled all the time. He went all over the world incessantly going to allied countries, meeting with dissidents and freedom fighters. There were so many aspects of john mccain that made him a larger than life figure. You wrote an oped about john mccain this morning. I do want to read a portion of that and ask what he meant to you. Mccains passing, tragic at any time, is all the sadder now. Trump hated mccain and insulted him at every turn because mccain was everything trump is not and everything that we need in our Politics Today but tragically lack. Talk to me more about why you decided to, you know, highlight those differences and what makes mccain such a standout in so many ways. Obviously, like everybody else, i knew the end was coming for john mccain, but i still found myself just devastated today in thinking about that hes no longer here and thinking about the injustice of the fact that john mccain is in his grave or about to be in his grave and donald trump is in the white house, somebody who never hid his hatred for john mccain. And you cannot imagine two men who are more different. Donald trump talks about american greatness. John mccain lived american greatness. He exemplified american greatness. Donald trump is all about donald trump. Hes a me, me, me first individual. John mccain always put country first. He was somebody always willing to sacrifice his selfinterest, whether his physical selfinterest as a p. O. W. Or his political selfinterest as a senator. He was always willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the country. Those are values and attitudes that we need a lot more of on our politics and are sadly missing. I think thats why its going to be such a huge hole in our nations life not to have senator mccain around. Do you think reminders such as your words you know, you paint the picture of john mccain, how so many people have so eloquently talked about how he would reach across the aisle, how he exemplifies all the great things that come with great leadership. Do you believe these reminders were hearing just within the past few hours of his passing just might leave a lasting impression to help bring some civility, much of what has been lost on capitol hill, or in other parts of washington . It certainly cant hurt. I think in the future, politicians would could do a lot worse than to ask themselves what would john mccain do . I think thats actually a great guide to any particular situation. He had this unswerving belief in right and wrong, and he would do the right thing whether it cost him politically or not. He was willing to break with his own party when necessary. He was willing to stand up to president s of his own party. He was willing to speak out for freedom. These are the qualities we need in our political life and that john mccain exemplified in his life over many decades. I hope that his life and legacy will serve as an inspiration to others because goodness knows we could use a lot more of those mccainlike qualities in our politics. And what do you think it says that john mccain has made his request about his exit, about the lying in state there in arizona, being in washington at the National Cathedral, and then being laid to rest at the Naval Academy and to be eulogized by george w. Bush and barack obama . Well, the fact that he is going to be eulogized by bush and obama i think speaks to his largeness of spirit. Of course, he lost president ial campaigns to both of those men and yet emerged with great relationships with both of them because there was a fundamental Mutual Respect there. But i think it speaks volumes that he does not want the current president of the United States speaking at his Memorial Service because, again, donald trump is not somebody that john mccain had any respect for. Of course, donald trump had no respect for john mccain. One of the many shocking things that donald trump said was very early on in his campaign when he said that i dont regard john mccain as a war hero. I like people who werent captured. That for me right there showed why donald trump was not fit to be president. Of course, you know, john mccain did not make a big thing out of it, but im sure those kinds of remarks stung him very deeply. But i think what was really hurtful to him was not Donald Trumps attacks on him but the fact that donald trump did not care about the country and that he was willing to kowtow to people like Vladimir Putin despite all the warnings that people like john mccain had issued over the years about the dangers of caving in to despots. Max boot, well leave it there for now. Thank you so much. Thank you. Hes been called so many things, a war hero, a Foreign Policy hawk, a legend. Our special coverage of the life of john mccain continues here on cnn. Who would have thought, who would have guessed . An Energy Company helping cars emit less. Making cars lighter, its a good place to start, advanced oils for those hardworking parts. Fuels that go further so drivers pump less. Improving efficiency is what we do best. Energy lives here. Hundred roads named park in the u. S. Its americas most popular street name. But allstate agents know thats where the similarity stops. If youre on park street in reno, nevada, the high winds of the Washoe Zephyr could damage your siding. And thats very different than living on park ave in sheboygan, wisconsin, where ice dams could cause water damage. But no matter what park you live on, one of 10,000 local allstate agents knows yours. Now that you know the truth, are you in good hands . 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Jacksonville police are warning people to stay away from the area called Jacksonville Landing, saying the area is not safe at this time. Its unclear how many victims at this point there may be and how serious this shooting is, but it is being called a mass shooting, according to the Sheriffs Office there. Atf is responding to the scene. Wjxt anchor Scott Johnson joins me by phone. Scott, what can you tell me about this game bar . What happens there, and what is being reported to have happened there . This is in a facility called the Jacksonville Landing, which is a center piece of Downtown Jacksonville. It is a major area where we have a lot of major concerts, gatherings, social events of that nature. It sounds like this may have been and were still working to confirm some sort of video game tournament at one of the many restaurants in the Jacksonville Landing, chicago pizza, possibly a madden tournament. We dont know that for sure. What we do know is the jacksonville Sheriffs Office, our local Police Agency is asking for people to stay as far away from the landing area as possible. This is a place that a lot of people go to, particularly on weekends when they have events. A lot of traffic, a lot of foot traffic and vehicle traffic. 11 people may have been shot. Were still working to confirm the numbers. This just happened within the last hour, were hearing. Three to four people may be dead, the rest injured. This is something that is a shock to all of us. This is right on the river in the center piece of our downtown. So right now we are still waiting to gather details from the jacksonville Sheriffs Office to learn the magnitude of this. Were just trying to get our live pictures on air. Im seeing pictures now. They blocked off many streets, the jacksonville Sheriffs Office has. This is in the core of downtown. Its going to keep a lot of poem away as they try and get a handle on this. We dont know anything about a shooter, who these people are. Early initial reports right now appear this was some sort of madden video game tournament Downtown Jacksonville at our landing. So scott, during a tournament like this, a gaming tournament, approximately how many people would be in this game bar . What are the ages that are spanned here . I honestly couldnt tell you. I just know the madden video game. Youre going to have late teens, guys in their 20s, maybe a little older. A lot of young men typically play this video game. Once again to clarify, we have not confirmed that with police. These are just initial reports that it may have been a madden video game tournament. A lot of young men may be there. This Jacksonville Landing has had violence before. We have had fatal shootings at this Jacksonville Landing, not recently, bing it wut i think i 2017 we had one. They do have security down here. This is a place that sometimes with concerts will have 10,000 people in it. For a madden video game tournament, maybe its 40 or 50. We cant say until we get a better idea of how many people were there. Were still trying to gather details of how many people may have been present at this, if this was a few dozen or something that drew in hundreds. We dont know at this point. All right. Scott johnson, thank you so much. Our affiliate wjxt there in jacksonville. Well check back in with you. Meantime, Brian Stelter is also with me by phone to give us a better idea of what some of these gaming tournaments are like. Brian, according to scott, we dont know how many people were attending this tournament, but people can be online with this tournament from all parts of the globe. What do you know about the scale of tournaments like this and a Gaming Center that attracts a number of people who dont necessarily want to be in the comfort of their home to do this, to participate, but they go to a game bar like this . Yeah, this is something that brings people together. Its a sort of community sense at these locations. Esports is a growing part of the Media Business where people come together to play games, some amateur, some professional, so they compete in tournaments. At some point, there can be huge amounts of money on the line. This was not a National Tournament though. What were seeing in jacksonville today was an early stage, local tournament. People trying to qualify to get to go to las vegas for a National Tournament. So you definitely had dozens in the room. We dont know if there were more than dozens. But dozens of people in the room playing games, competing against each other, watching some of these really talented players compete in madden. What we see on the livestream of this shooting is that at some point during the game, shots begin to ring out in the room. I counted more than a dozen shots on the livestream. We dont know if it continued after that point because the livestream then ended. But to be clear, fredricka, these kinds of events, these esports, theyre oftentimes livestreamed on the web. Thats how were able to see to some extent what happened in the room. In the video, which we may be able to show later, we dont actually see the shooting, we only hear it. Unfortunately, like i said, at least a dozen shots ring out. You hear people starting to scream. You hear people starting to wonder where did the gunman go . Where did he go . So thats the initial sense we have from this location in jacksonville, that there were friends, colleagues, rivals all getting together on a sunday morning, a sunday afternoon, playing madden together at what is essentially a sports bar but for video games in Downtown Jacksonville. All right, brian. Sit tight for a moment. I want to bring in a reporter from wjxt in jacksonville. Vick, what can you tell us about whether this is an active scene . Do they have the suspect . Whats going on . Fredricka, right now im told this is not an active scene. Obviously very active when it comes to the triage of these patients. The last i heard im talking with a lot of people within the fire department, within the Sheriffs Office here. A lot of my sources are telling me 11 people, 11 victims. We have at least four dead. Were told theres bodies lying out in front of this chicago pizza, which is a sports bar. This is a river front area. Its in Downtown Jacksonville. You know, last night we had the jaguars game. So theres probably still some people staying in the hotel there is. Theyre just triaging these patients. Theyre trying to get all of these people to different hospitals. You do have several different hospitals in the area, within probably three to five miles. So weve got all hands on deck with these First Responders from jacksonville fire and rescue, from the Sheriffs Office. There is an fbi office here in jacksonville. So i would imagine that they could possibly be involved as well. The Sheriffs Office and fire rescue, they train for these scenarios, always hope it doesnt happen, but right now it is just everybody scrambling to treat these patients and try to find out whats going on. You asked specifically about the suspect. I dont have any suspect information right now. We dont know if its one suspect or multiple shooters. Thats the information we want. I kept asking my sources, is this active . Is this an active shooter . I also have been talking to the general manager at a restaurant thats in that same complex. They said they dont have any intelligence to believe that it is still an active shooting. So whoever did this, one person, possibly multiple people, might have fled the scene. We just dont know that yet. All right. Vick, thank you so much for the information. As youre talking, were looking at the graphic of the area, which is a real magnet for folks who come and enjoy the riverside activity, restaurants, et cetera, including this game bar where this all took place. Live pictures on the right of your screen where you see the squad cars lined up. Were unable to see the activity you described, which is the triage thats been set up as a result of people being hit by gunfire. Again, as vic was saying, still unclear whether the suspect or suspects are still on the scene, if police are looking for them elsewhere. Were still trying to get information. But again, Gaming Center there attracting perhaps dozens of people who may be qualifying for this madden gaming tournament upcoming and gunfire erupted. Now weve got, at least according to vics sources there, 11 victims. We still need to confirm among the injured or perhaps even dead. Were going to continue our coverage there out of jacksonville, florida. Well be right back. 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By 1993 when rbg joined the supreme court, over 20 of law professors were women. In 2017, rbgs granddaughter graduated from harvard law. It was the first class to be 50 female. Surely nobody asked those women why theyre taking jobs from men. No door should be closed to people willing to spend the hours of effort needed to make dreams come true. Watch rbg on monday, september 3rd, at 9 00 p. M. On cnn. We continue to monitor breaking news out of florida, where there has been what authorities are calling a mass shooting at a game bar in jacksonville, specifically in an area youre looking at live pictures of right now in called jackson landing, an area right downtown with restaurants. It really is a magnet for a lot of people. Today we hear there are possibly dozens of people who went to this Gaming Center to be a part of a tournament there, and there has been a shooting. Still unclear whether Jacksonville Police have the suspect, but according to our affiliates, there is a triage unit that has been set up. At least 11 people have been victimized here, still unclear the degree of injuries or perhaps even deaths. Of course, when we get more information, well be able to bring that to you as we continue to monitor the developments there out of jacksonville, florida. Meantime, the other big story we continue to follow today is the passing of u. S. Senator john mccain, a man revered for his years of public service, both in the u. S. Military and then later in u. S. Government. Elected for the first time to the senate in 1986, he brought his vision for fairness, progress, and passion to capitol hill. Simultaneously butting heads and befriending members on both sides of the aisle. Joining me right now is max baucus, former u. S. Senator from montana and ambassador china. Mr. Ambassador, good to see you. The two of you were in the senate together for nearly 30 years. Thats extraordinary. You got to know him very well on a personal level and on a political level as well. Share with us your memories of him. John mccains an amazing man. Hes a giant. Some say people are not irreplaceable. John mccain is ir rreplaceable. Several reasons. Hes so driven. Public service was his calling. He served to the hilt, defended patriots standing up for american, demonstrated courage. An amazing man. He spoke truth to power. He did what he thought was right, irrespective of what the political pressures might be. The best example i could think of was when he voted against repealing obamacare. It was amazing. He did that because he thought it was the right thing to do. That is, not repeal obamacare, even though his party and Mitch Mcconnell pressed him extensively to do so. Bottom line, wonderful man. Theres no one like him in the senate. Theres not going to be anybody like him for a long time. I just have the highest regard for him. He has spoken, you know, of regrets that he had in his life of politics where he didnt necessarily, you know, feel good about some of the decisions that he made, but then he was willing to go back and really publicly say, you know, i allowed politics to lead me and not my heart. An example, South Carolina Confederate Flag where later after the primary, he reflect the and said publicly that was an error. How did you see that in him . He was someone who was willing to work across the aisle. How did you see that as he reached across the aisle, he was being driven by his heart, not necessarily politics. John had very strong views. Hes a very driven man. I respect that very much. On occasion, he made a mistake following those strong views. Twice he blew up at me, lost his temper, got really angry. I just, okay, whats all this about . Then he apologized to me. He was very apologetic. He said, masx, that was wrong fr me to do that, that was a mistake. He would listen, we reflected. He would change course sometimes to do what he thought was right. The confederate issue is one of those. You bring up that example of how, you know, he gave the thumbs down to repealing, replacing obamacare. That was one of his last, you know, big acts, particularly as a maverick. That really underscored that moniker as a maverick. Talk to me about how hes also had a hand in the crafting of his farewell and his family saying, you know, hes decided hes no longer going to continue with his brain Cancer Treatment and how he has crafted what this next week and a half will look like. I think thats quintessential john mccain. He was always working, thinking, doing what he wanted to do. He wants to be remembered, i think, as a strong patriot, a public servant, giving an example to those who followed him, what patriotism is. The definition is standing up, working for your country, listening to the fact, being bipartisan. Its working together. I think he went through all this plank in part to show to the world what one can do, what one should do. He wants his legacy to be continued. Ambassador max baucus, thank you so much for your reflections. Senator john mccain will always be remembered as a political maverick. He spoke his mind, never hesitating to reach across the aisle. Our special coverage of the life of john mccain continues right here on cnn. Sleep disturbances keep one in three adults up at night. Only remfresh uses ionpowered melatonin to deliver up to 7 hours of sleep support. Number one sleep doctor recommended remfresh your nightly sleep companion. Now im gonna tell my momma that im a traveller im gonna follow the sun now im gonna tell my momma that im a traveller transitions™ light under control™ but allstate actually helps you drive safely. With drivewise. It lets you know when you go too fast. And brake too hard. With feedback to help you drive safer. Giving you the power to actually lower your cost. 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A native new yorker, simon learned his craft in the early days of television, writing for comedian sid cesar. We would just string old jokes together until we finally learned how to create them. Reporter simon later wrote a play about tv comedy writers, laughter on the 23rd floor. I want to write comedy a comedy writer . Why . You really want to be like me, like val, like ira, like any of us . More than anything else in the world helen, you know us. Were disgusting. Reporter many of simons plays were part autobiography. His 1961 broadway debut come blow your horn was based on simons relationship with his older brother danny. Simon later remembered how worried he was when that first play opened. If that play failed, then i go to hollywood and write some sitcom for the rest of my life. Reporter come blow your horn did not fail. It ran 677 performances and later became a movie starring none other than frank sinatra. A few years later, simons barefoot in the park helped make Robert Redford a star. And in 1965, simon won his first tony for the odd couple, the story of two mismatched roommates, oscar and felix. Everything you do irritates me and when youre not here, the things i know youre going to do when you come in irritate me. Reporter the odd couple was a huge hit that inspired a successful movie and a longrunning television series. It firmly established simon as broadways most popular playwright. Other hits followed plaza suite and the sunshine boys just to name a few. No theater seemed to be complete without another new play featuring simons oneliners. There were screen plays too, for movies like murder by death and the goodbye girl, for which Richard Dreyfus would win an Academy Award for best actor. Critics often dismissed simon as a mere joke writer. Because i wrote a play almost every year, 27 plays in 30 years is almost every year, so anyone who writes that many plays couldnt be very hard for him. Reporter simon never gave up comedy, but as he got older, his scripts became more serious, and in 1991, three decades after his broadway debut, simon won the Pulitzer Prize for a comingofage play that mixed comedy with sadness lost in younkers. I forgot my key. How did you get in downstairs . Reporter but simons real monument is made of laughter as new generations of actors continue to revive simons plays. That laughter will continue for many years to come. Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this sunday. Im fredricka withfield. Were following breaking news out of florida, where there has been what authorities are calling a mass shooting at a game bar in jacksonville. Jacksonville police now saying on twitter that there are multiple fatalities. One suspect is dead. Its unknown if there is a second suspect. Authorities are warning people to stay away from the area called Jacksonville Landing, saying the area is not safe at this time. Were told gunfire erupted during what is known as a madness xbox football gaming tournament at a bar in jacksonville. We have video of what appears to be of the shooting while the tournament was being broadcast online. We do want to warn you that what youre about to hear and see is disturbing. Its going to be hard to get him on screen. Its not a tough out today. [ gunfire ] oh, [ bleep ] what did he shoot me we . [ gunfire ] so all that was taking place while that tournament was livestreaming. People playing