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World Food Programme Honored with Nobel Peace Prize.

BERIT REISS-ANDERSEN, NORWEGIAN NOBEL COMMITTEE: In the face of the pandemic, the World Food Programme has demonstrated an impressive ability to intensify its efforts. As the organization itself has stated, until the day we have a vaccine, food is the best vaccine against chaos.</s>CURNOW: The World Food Programme is being honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, for its fight to end world hunger. Right now, there is enough food being produced to feed the global population and, yet, there are still 690 million people around the world going to bed on an empty stomach. Phil Black takes a closer look now, at the organization's accomplishments -- Phil.</s>PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No one picked this but no one is disputing the worthiness of the World Food Programme as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, especially this year. In 2019, the organization helped 100 million hungry and starving people. In2020, that number expanded to 135 million, largely because of the pandemic and the organization warns that could expand further. Its executive director, talking about a potential wave of famine around the world before this year is over. The Nobel Peace Prize committee, justifying its choice and awarding the prize, to an organization that combats hunger. It drawing a clear link between hunger and war, saying they are often locked in a vicious cycle and you will never solve one without the other. The organization's executive director was in Niger, when he heard the news.</s>DAVID BEASLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WFP: This is the first time in my life I've been speechless. This is unbelievable. I'm talking about the most exciting point in time in your life, the Nobel Peace Prize. It's because of the WFP family. They're out there, in the most difficult, complex places in the world, whether it is war, conflict, climate extremes, it doesn't matter. They are out there and they deserve this award. And wow, wow, wow, wow. I can't believe it.</s>BLACK: The Nobel committee said through this choice, it wants to turn the eyes of the world onto the hungry. The World Food Programme is being honored for its work but also, its example. The committee made it clear, it is sending a message about the importance of countries working together to solve the really big problems. In its opening comments, making its announcement in Oslo, it said the need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is as great as ever -- Phil Black, CNN, London.</s>CURNOW: Thank you to Phil for that. We have a bit of a celebration to commemorate. The music of the Beatles has outlived some of its most famous members. Just imagine what could have been if singer-songwriter John Lennon had lived to the age of 80.</s>MUSIC PLAYING, JOHN LENNON, "IMAGINE") CURNOW (voice-over): Lennon was killed by a fan outside of his apartment in New York City 40 years ago. His former bandmate and friend Paul McCartney posted a tribute on Twitter on Friday. It would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday.</s>CURNOW: And an honor that really, really takes the cake for the former star of the popular TV show "The Great British Bake Off," Mary Barry was made a dame in the queen's annual birthday honors. The 85-year old says she is overwhelmed after her 6-decade career as a food writer and broadcaster. Of course, she says, it calls for a celebration with champagne, instead of her usual white one. Well done. Thank you for watching CNN, I'm Robyn Curnow, "AFRICAN VOICES" starts right after the break. Enjoy.

Trump to Conduct Another Super Spreader Event; Hurricane Delta Batters Gulf Coast; Coronavirus Surges in France

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello, I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN NEWSROOM, we're live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to you, our viewers here in the United States, Canada and around the world. While the Trump White House is already a proven hotbed of the coronavirus and staffers there fear a large event planned in the coming hours could only make it worse. A source tells CNN that 2,000 people have been invited to see and hear President Trump on Saturday, in his first public appearance since returning Monday, from the hospital. The president says he's been retested but says he doesn't know the results, he told conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh he was very sick but now feels great.</s>TRUMP: I was in not great shape and we have a medicine that healed me, that fixed me. I feel better now than I did two weeks ago. It's crazy. And I recovered immediately. Almost immediately. I might not have recovered at all from COVID.</s>BRUNHUBER: President Trump says he doesn't know where he caught the virus. But admits it might have been at a Rose Garden event two weeks ago. Numerous people, including the president and the first lady, tested positive for COVID in the days that followed, of course and the country's top infectious disease expert says the facts, while they're clear to him.</s>DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We had a super spreader event in the White House and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks. So the data speak for themselves.</s>BRUNHUBER: With the U.S. election now looming and President Trump trailing, in national polls, he appears eager to get back on the road for more campaign rallies beginning Monday in Florida. But Thursday's second presidential debate has been canceled after the Trump campaign rejected doing it remotely. The debate commission changed to a virtual form after the president tested positive for COVID. We're keeping a close eye on Hurricane Delta, now battering the Louisiana Gulf Coast with flash floods and widespread power outages and we'll have more on the storm in a moment. But first, one question, the White House refuses to answer is whether the president still has an active case of COVID-19. We'll get the latest from CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House.</s>KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Although it has only been a week since the president was hospitalized at Walter Reed, he is moving full steam ahead and planning an event at the White House for 2,000 people, who have been invited on Saturday and a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida, for the following Monday. That was actually an event the president was supposed to hold until he tested positive for coronavirus in recent days and, of course, had to cancel. But the big question is whether or not the president has since tested negative. It's one the White House is refusing to answer although they said they would let us know when the president does test negative again. And we do know he was tested on Friday because he admitted as much during an interview with a FOX News medical analyst, where he said he had been tested and not gotten his results back, even though it had been hours after that and the White House still had not disclosed what the results of that test were. They also did not send out any kind of updates from the president's doctor, even though they had done that on a daily basis, since he returned from Walter Reed. And before that, they were briefing reporters in person and stopped those briefings. No updates beyond from the president and his aides about his current condition, even though they were moving ahead for plans for the president to hold rallies, hold events with thousands of people potentially on the South Lawn on Saturday. Of course, the president is going to be addressing reporters from a balcony. Far up where he won't be interacting with guests according to the White House. But you have to remember, that Supreme Court event, the president wasn't walking around the Rose Garden but still multiple people who were at that event, even some of them wearing masks, have now, of course, tested positive for coronavirus, including the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who still remains hospitalized a week later, after he was first admitted to the hospital, which they said at the time was as a precaution. And, of course, now, it is raising questions of the far-reaching repercussions of the event -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right. Let's get some international perspective, from Leslie Vinjamuri in London, she's the head of the U.S. and Americas Programme at Chatham House. Thanks so much for joining us here today. We saw over there, how having COVID changed Boris Johnson's outlook and behavior when it comes to COVID. Not so with President Trump. For those hoping the president might have a hospital bed conversion about COVID, they've been sorely disappointed.</s>BRUNHUBER: As we just heard, he's going to gather people for events, when we don't really know if he's even healthy. It seems perplexing, he went on FOX, did a made for TV medical exam, by one of their medical experts, all of this more reality TV. How does this help him actually pick up ground against Joe Biden?</s>LESLIE VINJAMURI, CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, I think the first thing to say is that it is deeply concerning, at a time when we all know the number is more than 210,000 Americans died. But we're just three and a bit weeks out from the election, so I think the level of uncertainty, of concern, of chaos, that this has led to amongst the electorate, can't be understated. We know that Donald Trump's base, he has a hard core who have stuck with him but I think for so many Americans, they're very worried. We're seeing this in the polls. And I think older Americans, in particular, are concerned, deeply concerned about the signal that this sends, not only about the election of course. The number one thing in so many people's minds right now is November 3rd. People are already voting. But it's also so much to do with what signal it sends to all Americans about the seriousness of the pandemic that we're currently in. And the signal is that it's not a clear message of wearing masks, keeping distance. And I think there's just so much concern about whether the president is recovered yet, as he's interacting again with Americans.</s>BRUNHUBER: You mentioned the older voters. I don't like to focus on polls but the trends there are interesting. When a series of several recent polls show that the president, as you said, seems to be losing support among older voters, you mentioned one reason. But do you know exactly why that is and how that might affect the vote overall? We're seeing one of those polls just there on the screen now.</s>VINJAMURI: I mean I think what we've been seeing for a little while is a concern amongst older voters about whether the president is reflecting the values and the certainty, the stability, that they value. And when you add the fact that they're in a very naturally high risk category for the pandemic, this is obviously a grave concern for anybody over 55 that increases, when you look at over 65. And to see a president who really hasn't taken this seriously, who's denied the pandemic, marginalized scientists and experts, public health experts, even the CDC at times, these are values that are held dearly by older Americans. And so it's not surprising a president who won the over 55 vote, by 13 percent, in 2016, is now really trailing and that's likely to hurt him. Of course, what we know from all of these polls is that it's not about people's preferences. It's about whether those people exercise that preference, by voting. And that is the thing that we can't be certain of, how does it actually matter and when we begin counting those votes that are already being cast.</s>BRUNHUBER: Now one way to make up that ground might be to go on national TV, with millions of people watching, in a debate. But the president said he wouldn't participate in that virtual debate. It's been canceled. Didn't he miss an opportunity there? If you were advising the Trump campaign, would you insist he do it given the state of the race?</s>VINJAMURI: I think this is a president who knows that his strongest response comes when he's in those rallies. The people that turn up are supportive of him. He doesn't necessarily bring on new voters. But he certainly increases the enthusiasm. He ensures that people will get out and vote for him. And the debates did not go well for the president. They were poorly received by the majority of Americans. And I think that he knows that, if he faces another debate, questions of his tax concern, of his handling of the coronavirus, of the decision to hold what's become known as a super spreader event at the White House in recognition of Amy Coney Barrett, all of these things would come front and center in the next debate. And so I'm not surprised, I don't think any of us are surprised that he decided not to go forward with that.</s>BRUNHUBER: We'll have to leave it there. Thank you very much for joining us, Leslie Vinjamuri at Chatham House, in London, we appreciate it. Nearly 0.5 million homes and businesses are without power, along the U.S. Gulf Coast, after Delta roared ashore Friday evening. It made landfall near Creole, Louisiana, as a category 2 hurricane but it is now a tropical storm. This video you're seeing here was shot in Lake Charles, north of Creole, as the storm arrived, packing 100 mile-an-hour winds.</s>BRUNHUBER: The area is now dealing with life-threatening flash flooding. And just listen to this.</s>BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Imagine being out in that. That's the sound of those winds howling through Sweet Lake, Louisiana, only about 20 miles from the spot where the storm made landfall.</s>BRUNHUBER: And of course, Lake Charles, Louisiana, well, it hasn't recovered from Hurricane Laura, which struck back in August. Our Martin Savidge is there and here's his report on Delta's impact so far and the challenges the city now faces.</s>MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hurricane Delta came ashore east of the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana, good news for the city, because it meant that the city itself was spared the worst of the storm. Still, this is a city that really couldn't face any kind of storm. It was so badly damaged, six weeks ago, by Hurricane Laura. And in fact, the mayor here says that he believes 95 percent of the buildings and homes in this community have been damaged in some way by Laura. So they were in a much weaker position to try to face Hurricane Delta. We do know, according to the mayor, that there were 9-1-1 calls that came in at the height of the storm. The problem is emergency crews couldn't go out and respond because it simply would have been too dangerous. So we'll have to wait until the winds subside, where they will again go through search and rescue operations, something they're now sadly practiced at. And the real concern here on top of flooding has been the issue of debris; so much debris was caused as a result of Hurricane Laura and there was so little time in between storms they couldn't clear it all up. Much of that material becomes very dangerous; in fact, it becomes missiles in the storm that could harm people and do more damage to homes. Sadly, they had just got the power back and, in many cases, people had just come back to their homes. And now they have to start all over again on both fronts -- Martin Savidge, CNN, Lake Charles, Louisiana.</s>BRUNHUBER: Well, coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, new details emerge about the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Trump administration's virtual silence on the arrests. And a little later, a second wave of COVID-19 is taking hold across Western Europe. We'll go to Paris to find out how those countries are reacting. Stay with us.

Terrorism Charges Filed against 13 in Michigan Governor Kidnap Plot

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): That was the scene in Wisconsin Friday night as police fired tear gas at a crowd of protesters. The demonstrators took to the streets for a third straight night after authorities decided not to charge the police officer in the fatal shooting of 17- year-old Alvin Cole. A curfew was in effect from 7 pm to 6 am in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. But police say soon after the curfew began, officers were struck by bottles and fired the tear gas.</s>BRUNHUBER: In the U.S., six men appeared in a Michigan court Friday on terrorism and other felony charges. They're among 13 suspects accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and take over the governments of several other states. She says they're all domestic terrorists. CNN's Sara Sidner has new details about the investigation.</s>BRIANT TITUS, STORE OWNER: I hate to say I love the kid. But I'm mad right now. I'm just shocked, man. You help somebody out and then they pull that stuff.</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Briant Titus says one of the suspects in the alleged domestic terrorist plot was his employee.</s>SIDNER: The owner of this vacuum shop says Adam Fox lived here for the last couple of weeks. He says he lived behind this door and down into the basement.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): Down here with him, his dogs, one with an emotional support collar and a "Don't Tread on Me" tag attached to it.</s>TITUS: He was in a militia and he got kicked out. So he started his own.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): One of many things the two discussed, Titus says, he only became concerned when he noticed packages arriving for Fox.</s>SIDNER: What was he getting from Amazon?</s>TITUS: Like MREs, food, stuff like that.</s>SIDNER: So survival stuff -- ?</s>TITUS: Yes. He was buying more like attachments for like an AR-15. And he was buying like food. And I'm not stupid. I was in the Marine Corps. So then I told him he had to go.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): But before he left, Fox and 12 others were arrested in FBI raids. We found several suspects ranting against the government online, one suspect calling President Trump an enemy.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is not your friend, dude.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): While another had praise for the president, tweeting, "Keep up the good work, chief, we, the people, love your work." The FBI says the alleged plot centered around a plan to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose coronavirus restrictions have been railed against by armed groups at the Capitol. According to the complaint, they did surveillance on her vacation home. Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area. One suspect said in an encrypted chat, "The fear will be manifested through bullets." Fox allegedly responds, "Copy that, boys, loud and clear."</s>GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): These are the types of things you hear from groups like ISIS. This is not a militia, it is a domestic terror organization.</s>DANA NESSEL, MICHIGAN AG: What we're seeing here in Michigan, right now, it is not just a Michigan problem, it's an American problem. And I think there's going to be more incidences to come.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): A problem forewarned by Frank Meeink, a former neo-Nazi himself, convicted in the '90s for a politically motivated kidnapping. I spoke to him days before the alleged Michigan plot was known to the public.</s>SIDNER: What's the scenario in this election that would create what you're calling the potential of a race war?</s>FRANK MEEINK, FORMER NEO-NAZI: I'm telling you, this is going to happen. States like Michigan, states like Wisconsin, the Northern state that have some wilderness area, there have been militias from other states training up there. They are waiting and hoping that something does go wrong because they want to hold up (sic) in them hills and they want to say we don't want the federal government up here no more.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): He says President Donald Trump's rhetoric has emboldened extremists. Whitmer agrees.</s>WHITMER: Of course, we know every time that this White House identifies media or takes a shot at me, we see an increase in rhetoric online, violent rhetoric. And so there's always the connection. And certainly, it's something that we've been watching. But this took it to a whole new level.</s>SIDNER: In a flu (ph) of tweets, President Trump said he does not tolerate any kind of extreme violence. He then went after Governor Whitmer, saying that she did a terrible job in dealing with the coronavirus crisis in her state. But the governor did what many governors have done to try to slow the spread of this deadly virus -- Sara Sidner, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.</s>BRUNHUBER: I want to bring in an expert to talk about this. We have Augusta Dell'Omo, a history and policy fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, who hosts a podcast on right wing extremism called Right Rising. Thank you very much for being here. We've been having discussions here in the NEWSROOM about what to call this, you know, these type of groups. You heard governor Whitmer say this is not a militia, this is a domestic terror organization. What would you call them and do names matter? What's the difference between these types of groups and a group like the Proud Boys, for example?</s>AUGUSTA DELL'OMO, HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL: Well, that's a great question. And I think that we're finally starting to have the right conversation, which is, these groups do represent a threat to the United States. And they are a domestic terror threat. But on the other side, it is important to call them militias. By calling them militias, it offers us a way to understand what these groups want. So militias are invested in overthrowing the government. They have an ideology that views themselves as protecting individual rights and that leaves them to engage in extreme actions, like the plot against Governor Whitmer. But on the other side, militias also include activity that is demonstrations and protesting that wouldn't be classified as domestic terror. So these aren't mutually exclusive terms. Militias can commit acts of terror. And that's what we saw with Governor Whitmer. It's also important, as you mentioned, to distinguish the militia plots that we've seen over the past few days and the activities of the Proud Boys, which are more of what we would call a street gang, that's invested in inciting violence against protesters and brawling in the streets and you know, corrupting peaceful protests. So that distinction is important.</s>BRUNHUBER: Interesting. So, you know, the president's tacit and, sometimes, I guess, explicit support for these types of groups, you know, tweeting things like "Liberate Michigan," for instance, being so quick to condemn groups on the Left but being reticent to say anything in the wake of this incident.</s>BRUNHUBER: How much support are these groups getting from the president and the administration and what effect is this having?</s>DELL'OMO: Well, it's really viewed as a validation for them. And in the case of the militia movements, there is a contradiction. They see themselves as anti-government inherently. They see themselves as overthrowing the establishment. But Trump represents, for some of them, an outside figure that's fighting the good fight within the White House. He acts as a white male heroic figure to them. And his emboldening of them and the refusal to condemn them is really seen, especially on these online platforms, as a call to action. And it extends beyond Trump himself to his campaign, to the actions of his son, Donald Trump Jr., asking for volunteers to join Trump's army. All of this, is seen as a mobilization and validation. And critically, it undercuts efforts by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to reel in (ph), track and ultimately put a stop to these organizations.</s>BRUNHUBER: Yes, and you know, it's not just the president and the administration supporting these groups. I want to play a clip from the Barry County sheriff in Michigan, who had appeared at a rally with these suspects. He was asked about the accusation against them. Listen to this.</s>SHERIFF DAR LEAF, BARRY COUNTY, MICHIGAN: Are they trying to kidnap? Because a lot of people are angry with the governor. They want her arrested. So are they trying to arrest? Or was it a kidnap attempt? Because you can still, in Michigan, if it's a felony, you can make a felony arrest. I think it's MCL 764.4, something like that, .5, somewhere around there. And it doesn't say if you're in elected office that you're exempt from that arrest. So I have to look at it from that angle. And I'm hoping that's more what it is. In fact, these guys are innocent till proven guilty so I'm not even sure if they had any part in it.</s>BRUNHUBER: So I mean that just, you know, blows me away that he's maybe trying to justify it as a citizen's arrest. Does that type of reaction indicate perhaps a shocking level of support for these causes, in the community, in the very local power structures?</s>DELL'OMO: Well, I think that clip -- and it really hits me on the head with one of the biggest problems with tracking militia organizations -- is there is a not insignificant amount of support for these groups, particularly in sometimes local law enforcement. There's been a lot of reports recently from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI over concerns about infiltration, linkages between local law enforcement, like the sheriff and militias, and that they don't see these groups seriously. They don't see them as a threat and, in many cases, view militias as being able to do the kinds of citizen's arrests or things that they're not able to actually do. That's a particularly disturbing trend, when thinking about what would it actually take to foil one of these terror plots. If you don't have local law enforcement taking it seriously, that represents a real concern for the ultimate end of these organizations and what it would take the next time that something like this plot against Governor Whitmer happens.</s>BRUNHUBER: And even more disturbing as we head into these elections and who knows what will happen. Listen, we'll have to keep it there. But thank you very much for speaking to us, about this, Augusta Dell'omo, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, appreciate it.</s>DELL'OMO: Thank you for having me.</s>BRUNHUBER: Coming up, the World Health Organization is reporting a record number of daily global COVID-19 cases. We'll show you why Western European countries are particularly worried. And we'll speak with a prominent British doctor about a new report that details how the U.S. and other countries have failed to meet the COVID trial, stay with us.

POTUS' Health Status a Top Secret

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. A couple of thousand people have been invited to see and hear President Trump at the White House on Saturday, despite a recent COVID outbreak there that infected the president and about a dozen others. It will be the president's first public appearance since returning from the hospital on Monday. Here's what he told FOX News on Friday.</s>TRUMP: I have been retested and I haven't each found out numbers or anything yet but I've been retested and I know I'm either at the bottom of the scale or free.</s>BRUNHUBER: Now while speaking to Fox, the president revealed a few new details about his time in the hospital. Dr. Sanjay Gupta was listening carefully for clues about the president's health.</s>DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: The president did say that he had congestion in his lungs. Mark Segal (ph) asked the president, did he have scans? And he said all kinds of scans but he didn't say what they were but then said that they seemed to show some congestion in his lungs, which is actually the first time we had heard that.</s>BRUNHUBER: So with the election just over three weeks away and down in many polls, President Trump wants to kickstart his campaign with a rally on Monday in Florida. But one medical expert, speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, says large crowds such as that inevitably spread the disease further.</s>MIKE OSTERHOLM, CENTER FOR DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY INSTITUTE: Well, Florida is ripe for another large outbreak. What they've done is opened up everything as if nothing had ever happened there. And you and I could be talking probably in eight to 10 weeks and I will likely bet that Florida will be a house on fire. You know, this is what is so sad about this. We know these things are going to happen. It's not like you can escape this virus. You know, I find it, just illogical that people think, just because they get done with the virus, the virus is done with them. It's not.</s>BRUNHUBER: For more on, this let's bring in Dr. Sonia Adesara, a physician with the U.K.'s National Health Service, who joins us from London. Thank you very much for being here. The idea of thousands gathering together, to hear the president speak and then later to hold a rally, essentially, another super spreader event, it seems, it seems baffling. What message does this behavior send?</s>DR. SONIA ADESARA, U.K. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE: I think it is extremely reckless and I think it is extremely selfish. It's sending the wrong message. This is a potentially deadly virus</s>BRUNHUBER: Yes, I mean that's exactly what a new report from the Council on Foreign Relations said. It examined all of this and it said, while the pandemic threats are inevitable, the failures that contributed to the spread of coronavirus weren't. It said that the U.S. response was deeply flawed and too slow and it singled out leaders, including the president, for failing to communicate clearly or defend public health leaders. From your viewpoint, what have been the biggest failures to date?</s>ADESARA: Yes, so I think, you know, we've seen</s>BRUNHUBER: If we want to look sort of on a -- let's say a wider lens, looking towards the future, what can be done to improve the system? So that, sort of regardless, you know, who is in power, the response to the next pandemic can be more robust.</s>ADESARA: Yes, so I think --</s>ADESARA: --</s>BRUNHUBER: Yes, good point. If you don't mind, can you stick around? I want to bring in Melissa Bell in Paris, who has more on the cases in Europe. Melissa, you know, let's start where you are, in France, setting a daily record for cases.</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Friday was the worst we've seen so far. More than 20,000 new COVID cases announced. For the preceding 24-hour period. And it comes as four French cities enter the maximum alert zone where fresh restrictions come into play. As was just being said, it is all about protecting the ICUs. One of those cities that comes into the maximum alert today, in the north of France, Lille, is already warning that many of the other emergency procedures that its hospitals have been taking care of will have to be put aside in order to deal with what they expect to be a flood of COVID-19 patients because they have a particularly high rate of incidents among the elderly. And that often has complications and fairly quickly in arrivals in ICUs.</s>BELL: It is once again a delicate balance to ensure that the health care system works. I think what is slightly different in several European countries with the first wave we saw that these are by and large countries that dealt with the first wave very well. Lockdowns were agreed fairly quickly. The messaging from governments was very clear. The advice of scientists was at the center of their efforts. And it was very easy therefore to close those countries down. Now we're seeing a lot more pushback in a lot of these countries because the decisions are being made in a way that is more incremental, because, little by little, some cities, for instance, Madrid, now on lockdown, as they reach that breaking point for the health care system, are taking these drastic measures but with less clarity and less forcefulness and less unity than what we've seen in the first wave. So it is a much more difficult decision to make. For instance, here in Paris, we have been in the maximum alert category for a week. Bars and cafes have closed but after the pushback from restaurateurs, restaurants have remained open and there are questions among health professionals about whether the current restrictions are going to be enough. So severely tested are ICUs in places like Paris already.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right, Melissa Bell in Paris, thank you very much for that. Let's go back now to Dr. Sonia Adesara in London. Doctor, can you help us understand where this is going? I mean we keep hearing about record cases and so on. And are we heading back to where we were in the worst of the pandemic, with hospitals, as we were just hearing there, out of beds and so on? Or is this just the way things will be for the next, you know, who knows how many months, cycles of more cases, more restrictions then getting the numbers back down and then loosening restrictions and cases shooting back up again?</s>ADESARA: So beyond the situation in the U.K., where we are seeing a</s>BRUNHUBER: Sounds so sensible when you say, it but so far, it's eluded us, at least here in the U.S. and where you are as well. Thank you so much, Dr. Sonia Adesara in London. We appreciate it. After the break --</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have a choice. Like I work if I get sick or I end up on the street.</s>BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The devastating economic impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on Generation Z and Millennials. Stay with us.

Young Generations Face COVID-19 Devastation

BRUNHUBER: As we know, the COVID pandemic has hit the U.S. economy hard, with millions applying for first time unemployment benefits. And Generation Z and Millennials have been hit the hardest. CNN's Kyung Lah shares their stories.</s>KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Hannah and Joseph Kim knew growing up would be tough. But the siblings never imagined it would be like this.</s>HANNAH KIM, COVID-19 VICTIMS' FAMILY MEMBER: Towards the end of April, they consecutively went to the hospital. And it was my grandmother first and then my dad, the next day and then the next day was my mom.</s>LAH (voice-over): COVID-19 took them one by one, over just a few months, leaving the 22-year old and 17-year-old Joseph alone.</s>KIM: My parents are gone. And for the last two months, we didn't even have the capacity to think about our futures. You know, we're just scrambling to save our parents.</s>LAH (voice-over): She has no time to grieve, no time to show her loss. Hannah is in college now, Joseph in high school, with no extended family nearby or a clear path for how to make a living.</s>KIM: This is a memorial that we made for our parents so we could just remember them. And you know, look in every day.</s>LAH (voice-over): They're part of the hardest-hit age group in the COVID economy, young people. Generation Z and Millennials have America's highest rates of unemployment. About half say they or someone else in their household have either lost a job or had a pay cut since the pandemic began.</s>JOSUE MARTINEZ, COVID-19 SURVIVOR: We don't have the choice, like I work and I get sick or I end up on the street.</s>LAH (voice-over): 29-year-old Josue Martinez (ph) is the sole breadwinner in his household, paying the rent for this small converted garage he shares with his mother and girlfriend. He kept working at his job at CVS during the worst of the virus in California. Martinez says employees were notified that a COVID positive patient had visited the store in March.</s>MARTINEZ: That's when I started getting all of the symptoms. That's when I started getting the fever, the cough and, at the end, I couldn't breathe at all.</s>LAH (voice-over): This is what happened to Martinez. For 45 days, he was in a medically induced coma, nearly losing his life in intensive care.</s>LAH (voice-over): Weeks later, he survived. But he's dependent on a walker before the age of 30.</s>LAH: Do you think that this will impact your ability to make money or to work in the future?</s>MARTINEZ: Yes, I do. So any activity, I would have been, I was doing normally. Like now, I'm like limited, like I can't do.</s>LAH (voice-over): Young Americans, with no choice but to deal with the hand they've been dealt.</s>KIM: I'm still alive and my brother is still alive and we're healthy. And so, you know, I think that's -- just pockets of joy is what I'm looking for. And that's what keeps me going.</s>LAH (voice-over): Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>BRUNHUBER: We just want to give you this programming note. Join Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and five former CDC directors for a CNN global town hall "Coronavirus Facts and Fears." That's Saturday at 9:00 pm Eastern. And Sunday at 9:00 in the morning. In Hong Kong, right here, on CNN. Coming up, American pro football is coming up with new ways to handle the coronavirus. Now a new rule could cost teams on the field. Details next. Stay with us.

NFL Reschedules Games for Second Week.

BRUNHUBER: In American pro football, it is now a new rule for coaches talking to game officials in the COVID era. In a memo obtained by CNN, the National Football League says teams will be penalized 15 yards if the coaches speak to game officials without wearing a mask. The penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct comes after several coaches removed their masks when arguing with officials. And the New York Jets now have a clean bill of health, after sending all personnel home on Friday, when one player tested positive for COVID-19. It turns out that was a false positive. After a retest, everyone tested negative. And their game against the Arizona Cardinals will go ahead as scheduled on Sunday, which they will probably lose. All this uncertainty shows how sports leagues have walked the delicate line during the coronavirus pandemic. Carolyn Manno has more on what the NFL is planning to do.</s>CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I'm Carolyn Manno in New York. For the second straight week, the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots have had to push their games back because of coronavirus. The Patriots were originally scheduled to play the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon. But that game has been moved to Monday night at 5:00 pm Eastern. Meantime, Sunday's Titans-Bills game to be played on Tuesday. And Buffalo scheduled to play the Chiefs, two days later. And if that game comes to fruition, the other game will be pushed back. As the league's scheduling shuffle continues, the NFL tells CNN as of Thursday's round of testing, the Patriots, Chiefs and Titans are reporting no new cases, an encouraging sign as they try to move forward in their schedule.</s>BRUNHUBER: Well, that wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I will be back in just a moment. Stay with us.

Trump to Conduct Another Super Spreader Event; Hurricane Delta Batters Gulf Coast

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): President Trump plans a risky event close to home; 2,000 people are reportedly invited to the White House this weekend, as the president claims he's been cured of coronavirus. And the U.S. Gulf Coast is battered once again; hundreds of thousands of people are without power as Delta leaves its mark on Louisiana. We'll have the latest on the ground. Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. Welcome, to you our viewers here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.</s>BRUNHUBER: The Trump administration is planning a large event at the White House in the coming hours, despite a recent outbreak of COVID that infected numerous people, including obviously the president and the first lady. A source tells CNN 2,000 people have been invited to see and hear Mr. Trump on Saturday, in his first public appearance since returning Monday from the hospital. The president says he's been retested but doesn't know the results. He told conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh he was very sick and now feels great.</s>TRUMP: I was in not great shape. And we have a medicine that healed me, that fixed me. It's a great medicine. I mean, I feel better now than I did two weeks ago. It's crazy. And I recovered immediately, almost immediately. I might not have recovered at all from COVID.</s>BRUNHUBER: President Trump says he doesn't know where he caught the virus but admits it might have been at a Rose Garden event two weeks ago. Numerous people, including the president and the first lady, tested positive for COVID in the days that followed. But the country's top infectious disease expert says the facts are clear to him.</s>DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We had a superspreader event in the White House. And it was in a situation where people were crowded together, were not wearing masks. So the data speak for themselves.</s>BRUNHUBER: With the U.S. election now looming and President Trump trailing in many polls, he appears eager to launch an aggressive schedule of campaign rallies, beginning Monday in Florida. But Thursday's second presidential debate has been scheduled after the Trump campaign rejected doing it remotely. The debate commission changed to a virtual format after the president tested positive for COVID. But first, well, one question the White House refuses to answer is whether the president still has an active case of COVID-19. We get the latest from CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House.</s>KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Although it has only been a week since the president was hospitalized at Walter Reed, he is moving full steam ahead and planning an event at the White House for 2,000 people, who have been invited on Saturday and a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida, for the following Monday. That was actually an event the president was supposed to hold until he tested positive for coronavirus in recent days and, of course, had to cancel. But the big question is whether or not the president has since tested negative. It's one the White House is refusing to answer although they said they would let us know when the president does test negative again. And we do know he was tested on Friday because he admitted as much during an interview with a FOX News medical analyst, where he said he had been tested and not gotten his results back, even though it had been hours after that and the White House still had not disclosed what the results of that test were. They also did not send out any kind of updates from the president's doctor, even though they had done that on a daily basis, since he returned from Walter Reed. And before that, they were briefing reporters in person and stopped those briefings. No updates beyond from the president and his aides about his current condition, even though they were moving ahead for plans for the president to hold rallies, hold events with thousands of people potentially on the South Lawn on Saturday. Of course, the president is going to be addressing reporters from a balcony. Far up where he won't be interacting with guests according to the White House. But you have to remember, that Supreme Court event, the president wasn't walking around the Rose Garden but still multiple people who were at that event, even some of them wearing masks, have now, of course, tested positive for coronavirus, including the former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who still remains hospitalized a week later, after he was first admitted to the hospital, which they said at the time was as a precaution. And, of course, now, it is raising questions of the far-reaching repercussions of the event -- Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right. Let's get some international perspective, from Leslie Vinjamuri in London, she's the head of the U.S. and Americas Programme at Chatham House.</s>BRUNHUBER: Thanks so much for joining us here today. We saw over there, how having COVID changed Boris Johnson's outlook and behavior when it comes to COVID. Not so with President Trump. For those hoping the president might have a hospital bed conversion about COVID, they've been sorely disappointed. As we just heard, he's going to gather people for events, when we don't really know if he's even healthy. It seems perplexing, he went on FOX, did a made for TV medical exam, by one of their medical experts, all of this more reality TV. How does this help him actually pick up ground against Joe Biden?</s>LESLIE VINJAMURI, CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, I think the first thing to say is that it is deeply concerning, at a time when we all know the number is more than 210,000 Americans died. But we're just three and a bit weeks out from the election, so I think the level of uncertainty, of concern, of chaos, that this has led to amongst the electorate, can't be understated. We know that Donald Trump's base, he has a hard core who have stuck with him but I think for so many Americans, they're very worried. We're seeing this in the polls. And I think older Americans, in particular, are concerned, deeply concerned about the signal that this sends, not only about the election of course. The number one thing in so many people's minds right now is November 3rd. People are already voting. But it's also so much to do with what signal it sends to all Americans about the seriousness of the pandemic that we're currently in. And the signal is that it's not a clear message of wearing masks, keeping distance. And I think there's just so much concern about whether the president is recovered yet, as he's interacting again with Americans.</s>BRUNHUBER: You mentioned the older voters. I don't like to focus on polls but the trends there are interesting. When a series of several recent polls show that the president, as you said, seems to be losing support among older voters, you mentioned one reason. But do you know exactly why that is and how that might affect the vote overall? We're seeing one of those polls just there on the screen now.</s>VINJAMURI: I mean I think what we've been seeing for a little while is a concern amongst older voters about whether the president is reflecting the values and the certainty, the stability, that they value. And when you add the fact that they're in a very naturally high risk category for the pandemic, this is obviously a grave concern for anybody over 55 that increases, when you look at over 65. And to see a president who really hasn't taken this seriously, who's denied the pandemic, marginalized scientists and experts, public health experts, even the CDC at times, these are values that are held dearly by older Americans. And so it's not surprising a president who won the over 55 vote, by 13 percent, in 2016, is now really trailing and that's likely to hurt him. Of course, what we know from all of these polls is that it's not about people's preferences. It's about whether those people exercise that preference, by voting.</s>BRUNHUBER: That was Leslie Vinjamuri in London, speaking a short time ago. Almost 730,000 homes and businesses along the U.S. Gulf Coast are without power, after Hurricane Delta roared ashore Friday evening at category 2 strength. It has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves over land. This video you're seeing here was shot in Lake Charles about, 40 miles north of the spot where Delta made landfall. The area is now dealing with life-threatening flash flooding. And to talk about this, we're joined now on the line by Mike Steele in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is the communications director for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. How are you doing?</s>MIKE STEELE, LOUISIANA GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: Good morning. It was a pretty rough night, across the state. It's pretty remarkable that this storm did make landfall about 12 miles from where Hurricane Laura made landfall. So many of the areas that were impacted initially as the storm came onshore were some of the same spots that we're trying to help recover, you know. But then it kind of roared across the rest of the state as the night went on. I'm sure it's going to be another busy day today as we begin the assessments, once the sun comes up, to really see what we're dealing with. But you are probably talking about a much larger, you know, impact area, as it moved into North Louisiana and then some parts of the state are still seeing some of the heavy rains and problems with the wind damage.</s>STEELE: There's a lot of trees down, power lines down in many, many areas. So you know, we'll be ramped up pretty much all weekend, as we deal with this.</s>BRUNHUBER: You have to wait for days, you said. Do you have any idea of the extent of the damage caused by this so far?</s>STEELE: Not totally because, once most of the problems started, it was after nightfall. So you get to a situation, you know, where it's really not safe for people to be out. And the power outages have been massive but even the utility crews that were pre-staged, ahead of time, there's, you know, safety considerations, for those crews, before they can get out and hit the road and begin that work. There are areas where power was restored. But it's a matter of waiting until those conditions improve enough to where that work can begin.</s>BRUNHUBER: I mean Baton Rouge, hit pretty hard by those power outages. And how dark is the city at this hour?</s>STEELE: So it's -- you know, over the course of the night, there were a lot of intersections without power and you know, it was pretty widespread. Even here, we were kind of on the fringe of what we were seeing as far as some of the wind totals. So you know, when you take a look at what happened to Baton Rouge, the problems are much more severe as you kind of move into the southwest corner of the area, like Lafayette, Lake Charles. But again, as the night went on, the problems moved up into the Alexandria, Shreveport, Monroe areas. And we even have a lot of flash flood emergencies, you know, alerts, that went out overnight. So once the conditions improve and once we start getting the reports in from our partners at the local emergency management level, we will begin to start those assessments and see what support is needed from the state.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, listen, we wish you absolutely the best with that, as you deal with the effects of a double hit of two hurricanes in such short succession. Thank you so much for talking with us and do stay safe out there.</s>STEELE: You bet. Thank you.</s>BRUNHUBER: Coming up, on CNN NEWSROOM, a federal judge blocks an order from the governor of Texas, about ballot boxes.</s>BRUNHUBER: We'll explain why he says the order interferes with people's right to vote. Plus new details emerge about the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan's governor and the Trump administration's virtual silence on the arrest. Stay with us.

Trump Aborts Second Debate; Judge Blocks Texas Governor's Ballot Box Order; Terrorism Charges Filed against 13 in Michigan Governor Kidnap Plot

BRUNHUBER: In the U.S., six men were arraigned in a Michigan court on Friday on terrorism and other felony charges. They're among 13 suspects accused in a plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and overthrow several state governments. She says they're all domestic terrorists. Sara Sidner has new details about the investigation.</s>BRIANT TITUS, STORE OWNER: I hate to say I love the kid. But I'm mad right now. I'm just shocked, man. You help somebody out and then they pull that stuff.</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Briant Titus says one of the suspects in the alleged domestic terrorist plot was his employee.</s>SIDNER: The owner of this vacuum shop says Adam Fox lived here for the last couple of weeks. He says he lived behind this door and down into the basement.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): Down here with him, his dogs, one with an emotional support collar and a "Don't Tread on Me" tag attached to it.</s>TITUS: He was in a militia and he got kicked out. So he started his own.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): One of many things the two discussed, Titus says, he only became concerned when he noticed packages arriving for Fox.</s>SIDNER: What was he getting from Amazon?</s>TITUS: Like MREs, food, stuff like that.</s>SIDNER: So survival stuff -- ?</s>TITUS: Yes. He was buying more like attachments for like an AR-15. And he was buying like food. And I'm not stupid. I was in the Marine Corps. So then I told him he had to go.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): But before he left, Fox and 12 others were arrested in FBI raids. We found several suspects ranting against the government online, one suspect calling President Trump an enemy.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is not your friend, dude.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): While another had praise for the president, tweeting, "Keep up the good work, chief, we, the people, love your work." The FBI says the alleged plot centered around a plan to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose coronavirus restrictions have been railed against by armed groups at the Capitol. According to the complaint, they did surveillance on her vacation home. Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area. One suspect said in an encrypted chat, "The fear will be manifested through bullets." Fox allegedly responds, "Copy that, boys, loud and clear."</s>GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): These are the types of things you hear from groups like ISIS. This is not a militia, it is a domestic terror organization.</s>DANA NESSEL, MICHIGAN AG: What we're seeing here in Michigan, right now, it is not just a Michigan problem, it's an American problem. And I think there's going to be more incidences to come.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): A problem forewarned by Frank Meeink, a former neo-Nazi himself, convicted in the '90s for a politically motivated kidnapping. I spoke to him days before the alleged Michigan plot was known to the public.</s>SIDNER: What's the scenario in this election that would create what you're calling the potential of a race war?</s>FRANK MEEINK, FORMER NEO-NAZI: I'm telling you, this is going to happen. States like Michigan, states like Wisconsin, the Northern state that have some wilderness area, there have been militias from other states training up there. They are waiting and hoping that something does go wrong because they want to hold up (sic) in them hills and they want to say we don't want the federal government up here no more.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): He says President Donald Trump's rhetoric has emboldened extremists. Whitmer agrees.</s>WHITMER: Of course, we know every time that this White House identifies media or takes a shot at me, we see an increase in rhetoric online, violent rhetoric. And so there's always the connection. And certainly, it's something that we've been watching. But this took it to a whole new level.</s>SIDNER: In a flu (ph) of tweets, President Trump said he does not tolerate any kind of extreme violence. He then went after Governor Whitmer, saying that she did a terrible job in dealing with the coronavirus crisis in her state. But the governor did what many governors have done to try to slow the spread of this deadly virus -- Sara Sidner, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.</s>BRUNHUBER: A federal judge has blocked an order by the governor of Texas limiting ballot drop boxes to one per county. Several groups sued over the controversial directive the governor issued it last week. They said it would suppress voters, particularly in larger counties. And the judge agreed. Texas Democrats cheered the judge's decision, saying it was common sense. No word yet if the governor will appeal. It's just 24 days to go until the presidential election. President Trump is spreading even more disinformation about mail-in ballots. While polls show Joe Biden with a double digit lead over Mr. Trump, the president continues to stoke doubt on voting by mail. CNN's Pamela Brown has the latest.</s>PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump is continuing to undermine the integrity of the election.</s>TRUMP: They're sending out millions and millions of ballots. Are they sending them to all Democrats? This is going to be the second biggest political scandal in history.</s>BROWN: Trump is spreading disinformation. Vote-by-mail states send ballots to all active voters and there are no signs of a looming scandal. And he went on.</s>TRUMP: You're never going to know who won the election. You know, it's going to be two weeks later.</s>BROWN: But election night results are always unofficial. The very real chance there won't be a winner on election night is something even something Trump's security team warned is not a problem.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On November 3rd, we might not know the outcome of our election. And that's OK. But we are going to need your patience until official results are announced.</s>BROWN: The plot to kidnap Michigan's Democratic governor, along with Trump's disinformation and fiery rhetoric, is raising fears of voter intimidation on Election Day as tensions rise.</s>DANA NESSEL, MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's not just a Michigan problem. It's an American problem. And I -- I think there's going to be more incidences to come.</s>BROWN: Michigan's attorney general is working on guidance for law enforcement on how to handle guns at polling places. In 11 states in D.C., there is a ban on firearms at the polls. But many swing states, including Michigan, don't have strict rules against it.</s>TRUMP: Bad things happen in Philadelphia.</s>BROWN: Today, in Philadelphia, a judge rejected the Trump campaign's lawsuit over its attempt last month to use supporters as unofficial poll watchers ahead of Election Day, something Philadelphia officials wouldn't allow because it is against the law. The president fumed about it at the debate.</s>TRUMP: The very safe, very nice thing. They were thrown out. They weren't allowed to watch.</s>BROWN: All campaigns are allowed to have registered poll watchers at official sites on Election Day. But the judge upheld that it is illegal at satellite election locations being used for pre-election day voting. And now, both parties are gearing up for the possibility of a contested election with no clear winner on November 3rd or weeks beyond. The Washington Post reports Speaker Nancy Pelosi has discussed the issue in meetings. One scenario involves invoking the Electoral Count Act, an obscure, untested, 19th century law, which gives Congress the power to settle state-level disputes. Last week, Pelosi acknowledged any congressional involvement would be messy.</s>REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: If all that chaos takes us to a time that could be past the date when the electoral colleges must meet, we will be ready.</s>BROWN: The clamp-down on disinformation around the election, Twitter is now announcing several changes it is making including blocking any Twitter user including the candidates themselves, from declaring Victory before state officials have announced or before two national news outlets have made their public projections -- Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.</s>BRUNHUBER: Well, even though Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton four years ago, it kind of seems like that contest is never over for the president. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, one of the president's fiercest defenders, was recently criticized by his boss for not releasing Clinton's emails from a private server when she was secretary of state. Well, on Friday, Pompeo told FOX News he's on the case.</s>MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We've got the e-mails, we're getting them out. We're going to get all this information out so the American people can see it. You'll remember, there was classified information on a private server, it should have never been there. Hillary Clinton should never have done that. It was unacceptable behavior. It's not the kind of thing that leaders do.</s>DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST: The President has the authority to declassify anything he wants. All authority is to him. Could he declassify it and order it released if he wanted to? And if he ordered?</s>POMPEO: Absolutely, we're going to get there. We're going to get this information out so the American people can see it.</s>BRUNHUBER: Well, the coronavirus pandemic is again gaining ground in many parts of the United States. And public health experts fear that the arrival of the cold and flu season will quickly overwhelm many hospitals. We'll have that report just ahead. Plus, Western European countries are grappling with a record number of new daily COVID-19 cases so we will go to Paris and see what new restrictions are taking effect, stay with us.

Experts Warn of COVID-19 Resurgence; Coronavirus Surges in Europe

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to you, our viewers in the United States, Canada and around the world. The rate of COVID-19 infections in the U.S. has slowed since it peaked in July. But the pandemic is obviously far from over. More than 7.6 million Americans have been stricken so far and nearly 214,000 have died. And many places that had limited the virus' spread are seeing it resurge. CNN's Brian Todd has those details.</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Shuttered businesses in parts of Brooklyn, a hot spot of COVID-19 clusters in New York City. The governor says the infection rate in those clusters is much higher than in the rest of the state. Residents of those neighborhoods, particularly religious groups, have been battling city and state officials over the closures of nonessential businesses and the drastic limits of gatherings in houses of worship.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The way the government has been treating us and a lot of Americans has been like really as if we're not capable of making intelligent decisions. And I consider it simply tyranny.</s>TODD (voice-over): Governor Andrew Cuomo says it is not a matter of religious freedom, that they simply have to attack outbreaks in those neighborhoods.</s>GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): If you don't follow the rules, the infection rate spreads and people get sick and you make others sick. We're talking about Brooklyn. We're not talking about a hermetically sealed community in a rural area. This is in the middle of Brooklyn. They will make other people sick.</s>TODD (voice-over): Neighboring New Jersey just reported its highest number of cases in one day since May. With nearly 30 states seeing case counts go up and the country averaging more than 45,000 new positive tests per day, a whistleblower, who recently left the Trump administration, has an ominous warning.</s>RICK BRIGHT, FORMER DIRECTOR, BIOMEDICAL ADVANCED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY: This winter we're going to have an explosion of cases of coronavirus. This winter, we're going to have an explosion of influenza infections and other respiratory infections. It's going to overwhelm our health care system again.</s>TODD (voice-over): In Wisconsin, that's already happening. The governor says the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 in that state has nearly tripled in a month. A temporary field hospital in Wisconsin will start receiving patients in the coming days. A top health official says doctors and nurses are among those infected.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every region in Wisconsin has hospitals reporting current and imminent staffing shortages and at least one region is reporting these shortages in a majority of their hospitals.</s>TODD (voice-over): With the U.S. heading back to the kinds of spikes it saw in the early spring and part of the summer, one expert says this round could be even worse because then the country was only starting with a few hot spots. Now --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We see particular hot spots in the northern Midwest and the Plains states but it's not just there. It's actually really all throughout the country and I think that puts us in a precarious position leading into the fall.</s>TODD (voice-over): A leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force says people who are asymptomatic are silent spreaders in some communities. And she issues this warning for the upcoming holidays.</s>DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: It is important for all of us to not let our guard down during Thanksgiving. We see that from the High Holy Days, people are just yearning to be together.</s>TODD: And there are questions over whether we're going to see another favorite tradition around the holidays, pro-football, the NFL has had to reschedule two games this weekend because of positive COVID tests, the Tennessee Titans are under investigation after more than 20 players and staff members became infected. And the NFL's chief medical officer said the league has not ruled out pausing the season -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.</s>BRUNHUBER: Let's bring in Dr. Sonia Adesara, a physician with the U.K.'s National Health Service, who joins us from London. Thank you very much for being here. The idea of thousands gathering together, to hear the president speak and then later to hold a rally, essentially, another super spreader event, it seems, it seems baffling. What message does this behavior send?</s>DR. SONIA ADESARA, U.K. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE: I think it is extremely reckless and I think it is extremely selfish. It's sending the wrong message. This is a potentially deadly virus</s>BRUNHUBER: Yes, I mean that's exactly what a new report from the Council on Foreign Relations said. It examined all of this and it said, while the pandemic threats are inevitable, the failures that contributed to the spread of coronavirus weren't. It said that the U.S. response was deeply flawed and too slow and it singled out leaders, including the president, for failing to communicate clearly or defend public health leaders. From your viewpoint, what have been the biggest failures to date?</s>ADESARA: Yes, so I think, you know, we've seen</s>BRUNHUBER: That was Dr. Sonia Adesara, speaking to me from London. And this just came in to CNN. The British Medical Association is warning that the U.K. public is losing confidence in the government's handling of the pandemic and is urging immediate action due to the spiraling rate of infection. Medical professionals say face masks should be mandatory in all offices and outdoors. They also say public gatherings should be limited to six people. The U.K. currently has almost 580,000 confirmed cases of COVID and almost 43,000 deaths. And cases have been rising sharply in recent weeks. The World Health Organization is reporting a record number of daily global COVID-19 cases. It reported more than 350,000 new infections on Friday. But officials say cases are being vastly undercounted. The WHO also reported more than 6,000 new deaths on Friday for a confirmed total of more than 1,066,000 deaths world wide. And many of those new COVID-19 cases are in Europe, which is facing a big surge in infections. Have a look here. The region is reporting more cases than India, Brazil or the U.S. In fact, nearly a third of all of the world's infections in the last 24 hours are on that continent.</s>BRUNHUBER (voice-over): In Spain, a state of emergency in the country's capital. In France, several cities on maximum alert. Across Europe, fears are growing of a lockdown 2.0, as the continent sees new cases of coronavirus surge.</s>DR. MICHAEL RYAN, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Many countries in Europe are experiencing a rapid rise in cases and governments do have to take decisive action in order to try and shut down transmission.</s>BRUNHUBER (voice-over): From Iceland to Italy, Russia to the U.K., France to Slovenia, more than a dozen countries are smashing records for daily numbers of new cases. And governments are doing what they can to stem the surge while trying to avoid an all-out lockdown.</s>ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY (through translator): The increase of infections is so rapid in some cities that we have almost reached a point of no return where the virus will spread without control. My top priority is to avoid having to shut down the economy and the public life completely, as it was needed at the start of the year.</s>BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Germany, mulling more drastic restrictions, as well as Russia, where citizens are advised to stay home this weekend as hospitals begin to buckle from soaring infections. Meanwhile, Poland and Italy are making face masks mandatory while outdoors for citizens across the nation. And in the U.K., British Parliament will soon debate a 10:00 pm closing time for pubs and restaurants, as daily confirmed cases doubled in a week. Others have already taken the plunge. In the Belgian capital, bars and cafes will be closed for an entire month. A similar story for pubs in Scotland's two most populous cities, patrons taking the last sips Friday before doors close once more, as the country joins the rest of Europe fighting to contain a resurging coronavirus pandemic.</s>BRUNHUBER: And joining me now is CNN's Melissa Bell in Paris with more on the cases in Europe. Melissa, a disturbing picture we're seeing on the continent but let's start in France where you are and a record number of cases there.</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It was a record that was announced yesterday. More than 20,000 new cases in a single 24- hour period. We simply hadn't seen that at any point since the outbreak began here in the spring. And of course, what we have here is being repeated elsewhere in Europe. These are national figures with positivity rates; for instance, rising in France to 10.4 percent. It was just three weeks ago, at 5.4 percent. So that gives you an idea how things are moving. But in a sense, looking at the national picture, it is not exactly what we're looking at, with these hot spots, the areas where the virus is progressing faster and we're talking about for the most part in the second wave about Europe's big cities. And we saw in the report how Madrid has gone on lockdown. We expect similar measures to be taken in other European cities as well. Take the greater Paris region. We're currently in the maximum alert category. And one of the criteria for deciding that is that the ICU occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients is above 30 percent. In Paris now, we're above 40 percent. So 40 percent of ICU beds are taken by COVID-19 patients. According to the projections of the local health authorities here in the greater Paris region, that will increase beyond 80 percent this month. And that might take us to the next category, which is a state of sanitary emergency, which would bring much harsher restrictions similar to those in Madrid. So for the time being, the figures are not being brought under control. And governments as you say are doing what they can, to avoid harming the economy further. But it is in the inability of the health care systems that will be the decisive factor in this.</s>BRUNHUBER: Keeping an eye on that disturbing situation. Thank you so much, Melissa Bell in Paris. Appreciate it. And coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, a ceasefire is under way between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But that didn't stop shelling just hours before. We will have the latest on the conflict coming up. Stay with us.

North Korea Celebrates Ruling Party Anniversary; Armenia-Azerbaijan Cease-Fire Takes Effect

BRUNHUBER: South Korean officials say North Korea likely celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of its ruling party Saturday with a massive military parade. Authorities say they detected personnel and large scale military equipment mobilizing in Pyongyang. And these pictures here, that you're seeing, are of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un 10 days ago or still actually just waiting to see fresh pictures of Kim and the military hardware that would have been on display. The anniversary is usually celebrated with festivals and concerts. The last time the reclusive nation broadcast a military parade as it happened was in 2017. A cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan is now in effect, according to the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. In the hours preceding the cease-fire, intense shelling occurred, where both sides accused the other of firing missiles. It's unclear how fast it will hold. Lavrov mediated the first talks between the two sides, since the violence erupted in late September over the break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The enclave is in Azerbaijan but is primarily populated and governed by ethnic Armenians. International security editor Nick Paton Walsh has more in London. How significant is this? Is it a first step toward a peace deal or just a brief pause in the violence?</s>NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Certainly it is good news that both sides, brought together by Moscow, who had been urging diplomacy but failing to have its voice listened to after the last weeks or so, increasingly escalating and troubling violence, in which hundreds have died, many of them civilians, on both sides. Finally, we have seen both sides agree in principle to the cease-fire. It is open-ended. It doesn't have a particular moment where it is supposed to end. And it is meant to usher in new talks onto the old negotiation process that, over the decades, kept the guns mostly silent but failed to come up with a final permanent solution to things here. So the other issue too, unfortunately is, we are hearing, since the ceasefire was put in place, about two, three hours ago now, that it hasn't held particularly well. Both sides are accusing the other of limited shelling. Both sides are denying the other's accusations. This isn't particularly uncommon, frankly when a ceasefire is put into place. You can have scattered instances, where miscommunication or excess anger or misbehavior can lead to instances like this. The key thing is they have in technical terms agreed to the cease- fire. And the Red Cross is supposed to be involved in retrieving the dead from either side and also exchanging prisoners. The broader question though is whether or not these longer term talks about resolving the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area inside the borders of Azerbaijan, which is internationally recognized as part of that country, yet has for decades been controlled by an ethnic Armenian population with the heavy backing of the Armenian state. There is a longer term fix for that particular problem. Azerbaijan has moved stridently with a very advanced, sometimes technically superior campaign, to push the Armenians back. Many have said that Turkey is not just rhetorically backing Azerbaijan but also potentially providing military assistance, too. On the other hand, the Armenians have lost some ground and are looking to Russia, their security guarantor, to step. They have done it here with diplomacy but not military assistance.</s>WALSH: I think the hope in Moscow is maybe these talks will see an end to the violence and maybe stops a resumption of conflict in the months ahead.</s>BRUNHUBER: We will be following the story in the coming weeks. Appreciate it, Nick Paton Walsh in London. After the break, we will look at the World Food Programme, which has been honored with the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its global work to end hunger. Stay with us.

World Food Programme Honored with Nobel Peace Prize.

BRUNHUBER: The World Food Programme has won the Nobel Peace Prize for its fight to end hunger. Right now the world produces enough food to feed everyone but still 690 million people around the world go to bed on an empty stomach every night. CNN's Phil Black takes a look at the organization's accomplishments.</s>PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No one picked this but no one is disputing the worthiness of the World Food Programme as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, especially this year. In 2019, the organization helped 100 million hungry and starving people. In2020, that number expanded to 135 million, largely because of the pandemic and the organization warns that could expand further.</s>BLACK: Its executive director, talking about a potential wave of famine around the world before this year is over. The Nobel Peace Prize committee, justifying its choice and awarding the prize, to an organization that combats hunger. It drawing a clear link between hunger and war, saying they are often locked in a vicious cycle and you will never solve one without the other. The organization's executive director was in Niger, when he heard the news.</s>DAVID BEASLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WFP: This is the first time in my life I've been speechless. This is unbelievable. I'm talking about the most exciting point in time in your life, the Nobel Peace Prize. It's because of the WFP family. They're out there, in the most difficult, complex places in the world, whether it is war, conflict, climate extremes, it doesn't matter. They are out there and they deserve this award. And wow, wow, wow, wow. I can't believe it.</s>BLACK: The Nobel committee said through this choice, it wants to turn the eyes of the world onto the hungry. The World Food Programme is being honored for its work but also, its example. The committee made it clear, it is sending a message about the importance of countries working together to solve the really big problems. In its opening comments, making its announcement in Oslo, it said the need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is as great as ever -- Phil Black, CNN, London.

Tropical Storm Delta Hits Parts of Louisiana

PAUL: It's 15 minutes past the hour, and Delta is now a tropical storm. It's moving out of Louisiana, further into the southeast this morning now.</s>BLACKWELL: We're starting to get some of the first shots after daybreak. This is from Mandeville, Louisiana, and you can see here, these communities inundated with water.</s>PAUL: Yes, and I want to show you this aerial drone view. This is from Delcambre, Louisiana. Look at the widespread flooding there. And there's definitely damage to homes, as we understand it.</s>BLACKWELL: CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam is there in Delcambre. Derek, we've seen the fly-over view. You're there on the ground. Show us what is around you.</s>DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, this is storm surge that you're looking at right here, and you saw the aerials just a moment ago. It's quite extensive in some of those locations because there's a canal that runs from Vermilion Bay right through this Delcambre town. And you're seeing that some houses are going to be more fortunate than others when the water finally does recede, which, by the way, it is doing so right now. There are homes here that are on stilts, but you can see clearly over my left shoulder, there are some homes that do not have stilts. In fact, in order to get insurance to live in Delcambre, Louisiana, an area that is so prone to storm surge and flooding, you have to have insurance that allows you to put on these stilts here in order to live here. So just kind of sets the standard to live in a flood-prone area like this. Now, hurricane Delta was a significant storm, but we do know that Laura that made landfall just to our west six weeks ago left so much damage from the wind. But this region susceptible to the flooding. And it really did realize that official forecast from the National Weather Service, which was between seven to 10 feet. We saw some of the river gages, some of the gages from Vermilion Bay. One of the canals, seven to 10 feet was realized, and so that is significant for this region without a doubt. There were 14 inches of rain in some locations in south central Louisiana with wind gusts over 90 miles per hour in some locations as well. So certainly hurricane force. We felt the brunt of Delta last night. We rode out the storm. We were in the eye. And then it cleared. And then we were left with this beautiful sunshine. I swear, Victor, Christi, sometimes after a hurricane comes the best weather, and we are experiencing it right now. Hopefully we can get rid of this water soon. The residents here are very eager to clean up the mess that's left behind from hurricane Delta.</s>PAUL: And I'm sure they're exhausted, because there's been a lot of cleanup for those people already. Derek Van Dam live for us down in Louisiana --</s>VAN DAM: Yes, a record setting year.</s>PAUL: Yes. Derek, thank you so much. We appreciate it. People in Lake Charles, Louisiana, by the way, they are in the same boat in a sense. They are trying to clean up from hurricane Laura six weeks ago, and then were urged by their mayor to evacuate because Delta was coming in. Let's go to the mayor of Lake Charles, Nic Hunter. He is with us now. Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for being with us. It looks like you've got some sunshine there as well. That is good news. Help us understand what kind of damage you have to deal with this morning from Delta.</s>MAYOR NIC HUNTER, LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA: Well, it just shows you that every storm is different, and though Delta was a lower category than Laura, we are actually experiencing more flooding from Delta than we did from Laura. Laura's winds were catastrophic, and now it seems like we're getting a double whammy, or a second dose with Delta's flood waters.</s>PAUL: And I know that you had people there that were still cleaning up from Laura as well. Help us understand what your primary concern is for your people there now.</s>HUNTER: Our primary concern is always public safety and human life. And that's why we were so forceful in encouraging people with our message to evacuate for Delta. And I'm glad they did. I think more people did evacuate for Delta than did for Laura. But let me tell you, we're not sitting on our hands right now. Already we're picking up the pieces. But we have quite a road ahead of us. There's a lot of homes that were damaged from Laura, and now it's just adding insult to injury with what happened with Delta. So we have a long road of recovery ahead of us.</s>PAUL: I think I read that some of those blue tarps we see on homes that are trying -- they're trying to renovate and recover after Laura. Some of those blue tarps were ripped off because they just hadn't gotten to that point yet, and on top of that, as I understand it, a big chunk of your city does not have electricity. Is that still the case this morning?</s>HUNTER: Lake Charles does not have electricity right now.</s>PAUL: OK, how are your first responders doing? Are they OK? I know you've sung the praises of the fire department and police department there.</s>HUNTER: They are. They're OK. And let me tell you what, they are heroes, they are angels among us. As soon as it was possible, as soon as the winds died down, they were out doing search and rescue, and those men and women have been heroes, and God bless them.</s>PAUL: Well, thank you so much, Mr. Mayor. We are wishing you the very best on your recovery there for everybody in your city. Take good care.</s>HUNTER: Thank you. God bless.</s>PAUL: You as well.</s>BLACKWELL: We're pushing forward on our coverage of this plot to kidnap a sitting governor and overthrow several state governments. Charges are in for at least six of the 13 men accused of being domestic terrorists. We've got a live report from Michigan next.

Six Suspects Face Federal Kidnapping Charges for Plot to Kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

PAUL: Terrorism charges have been filed now, state terrorism charges, against six of the 13 men accused of a domestic terror plot to overthrow several state governments and kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.</s>BLACKWELL: Six of the suspects face federal kidnapping charges. The men are also accused of planning a civil war and target law enforcement. Let's bring in CNN national correspondent Sara Sidner, she is in Grand Rapids. You spoke with the employer, a former employer, I should say now, of the suspected leader of this group. What did you learn?</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor and Christi, as one of the suspected leaders, employer and actually longtime friend, it was also the place where he lived as well. The employer saying that he had given him a place to live, and then had asked him to leave because he noticed something that concerned him. But before the suspected one of these leaders of this group left, the FBI came knocking.</s>BRIANT TITUS, BUSINESS OWNER: I hate to say I love the kid, but I'm mad right now. I'm just shocked, mad. You help somebody out and then they pull that stuff.</s>SIDNER: Briant Titus says one of the suspects in the alleged domestic terrorist plot was his employee. The owner of this vacuum shop says Adam Fox lived here for the last couple of weeks. He says he lived behind this door and down into the basement. Down here with him, his dogs, one with an emotional support color and a "Don't tread on me" tag attached to it.</s>TITUS: He was in a militia and got kicked out, so he started his own.</s>SIDNER: One of many things the two discussed, Titus says. He only became concerned when he noticed packages arriving for Fox. What was he getting from Amazon?</s>TITUS: Like MREs, food, stuff like that.</s>SIDNER: So survival stuff did it seem like?</s>TITUS: Yes, he was buying attachments for an AR-15 and he was buying food. And I'm not stupid. I was in the Marine Corps. So I told him he had to go.</s>SIDNER: But before he left, Fox and 12 others were arrested in FBI raids. We found several suspects ranting against the government online, one suspect calling President Trump an enemy.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is not your friend, dude.</s>SIDNER: While another had praise for the president, tweeting "Keep up the good work, chief! We The People love your work." The FBI says the alleged plot centered around a plan to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose coronavirus restrictions have been railed against by armed groups at the capital. According to the complaint, they did surveillance on her vacation home. Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area. One suspect in an encrypted chat "the fear will be manifested through bullets." Fox allegedly responds, "Copy that, boys, loud and clear!"</s>GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER, (D-MI): These are the types of things you hear from groups like ISIS. This is not a militia. It is a domestic terror organization.</s>DANA NASSEL, (D) MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: What we're seeing here in Michigan right now, it's not just a Michigan problem. It's an American problem. And I think there's going to be more incidents to come.</s>SIDNER: A problem forewarned by Frank Meeink, a former neo-Nazi himself convicted in the 90s for a politically motivated kidnapping. I spoke to him days before the alleged Michigan plot was known by the public. What is the scenario in this election that would create what you're calling the potential of a race war?</s>FRANK MEEINK, FORMER NEO-NAZI: I'm telling you this is going to happen. States like Michigan, states like Wisconsin, the northern states that have some wilderness area, there have been militias from other states training up there. They are waiting and hoping that something does go wrong, because they want to hold up in them hills, and they want to say we don't want the federal government up here no more.</s>SIDNER: He says the President Donald Trump's rhetoric has emboldened extremists. Whitmer agrees.</s>WHITMER: Of course, we know every time that this White House identifies me or takes a shot at me, we see an increase in rhetoric online, violent rhetoric. And so there's always a connection. And certainly, it's something that we've been watching, but this took it to a whole new level.</s>SIDNER: And Governor Whitmer had asked that the president tamp down his rhetoric, especially the rhetoric against her. In a slew of tweets, the president, President Trump, responding, one saying he does not tolerate any kind of extremist violence, but he also then took the chance to lambaste Whitmer yet again, saying that she has done a terrible job in dealing with the coronavirus crisis for shutting down the state, for example. But she has done, to be clear, what many other governors have done to try to slow the spread of this deadly virus. Victor and Christi?</s>PAUL: It is quite a story, Sara. Thank you so much. Sara Sidner there for us in Michigan.</s>BLACKWELL: President Trump has invited thousands of people to the White House today, but there's still so much we do not know about his health, like the results of his latest COVID test, or whether or not he is still positive for the virus, the viral load, when he tested negative last.</s>PAUL: Earlier we spoke to CNN medical analyst Dr. Saju Mathew, and he said testing and caution are of paramount importance, regardless of how the president thinks he's feeling.</s>DR. SAJU MATHEW, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Yes, frankly, I saw that, and I wasn't really sure what that meant. A lot of times with President Trump it's really more of what he doesn't say that you kind of have to read into, just like with Dr. Conley. So with COVID-19, this is the bottom line. You've got criteria to decide if a patient is ready to go back to work, if a patient can be released. The first one would be from the onset of symptoms you have to actually have 10 days to make sure that the patient is symptom- free. Number two, no fevers for the last 24 hours. If the president was on dexamethasone, which is steroids, that can reduce the fevers. It treats inflammation, but it can reduce the fever. So my one of many questions would be, one of many questions would be, is he still on dexamethasone? And lastly, you want to make sure that the patient's symptoms are improving. That's very subjective because for some people they can feel good in the first week, and then in the second week they can have symptoms again. And lastly, regarding testing, Christi, that's always a bit iffy, and the reason I say that is we know from previous studies that patients recovering from COVID-19, they can test positive for a good two months. And that's because you're still shedding the virus. So I don't think we should pay too much attention to this test that the president supposedly had done yesterday. Most likely it should test positive because he was just diagnosed a week ago. Bottom line, how is he feeling, what is the CAT scan look. And let's also remember he had severe COVID-19, so he could be infectious for 20 days, not 10 days.</s>BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN political commentator Alice Stewart, Republican strategist, and former communications director for Ted Cruz, and Maria Cardona, CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist, and let's not forget the podcast "Hot Mics from Left to Right." Ladies, welcome back.</s>ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you, Victor, Good morning.</s>MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you. Good morning.</s>BLACKWELL: Alice, let me start here with you. Dr. Fauci says that the last large gathering at the White House was a super-spreader event, and that was just a couple hundred people max. Why does it make sense to bring 2,000 people to the White House today?</s>STEWART: Victor, it makes zero sense to do such a thing. And I say repeatedly, COVID is not a political issue. This is a public health issue, and that needs to be in the forefront of everyone's mind. I understand that the president wants to get out there and rally his people, but to be quite honest, the people that are going to risk their health and go to the White House and see a rally today are going to vote for this president. And it is all about the audience. He needs to broaden his audience, broaden his base. And people understand we are in COVID times. He can get the message out virtually, he can get the message out through tweets, he can get the message out on a debate stage. But there are many other ways to go about getting his message out, and specifically with us being uncertain about his current status with COVID, the best thing to do is the safe thing to do and not bring together large groups of people, and get your message out there virtually. People understand.</s>BLACKWELL: So let me repeat back to you, this is what my therapist does to me. I want to repeat back to you what I hear you saying. And are you saying that the president is using these people and jeopardizing their health and potentially their lives for his own political goals?</s>STEWART: As your patient, Victor, that is not exactly what I'm saying. But what I am saying is that he is not taking into account the fact that he is potentially putting a lot of people at risk. And it is imperative for him to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk with regard to public safety on COVID. And I completely understand him wanting to talk with these people, but it's just better to be safe than sorry when it comes to this, and doing something virtually, I feel, would be just as compelling.</s>BLACKWELL: Maria?</s>CARDONA: Of course, what my friend is saying is that he is absolutely using his supporters, absolutely putting them in harm's way, absolutely creating the possibility that they could contract COVID-19 and die. But this is exactly why, Victor, this person is not fit for office. He doesn't care about any of that. He should absolutely listen to Alice Stewart, but he won't. He's not listening to any of the experts. He's not listening to any of the doctors. And what he is doing is continuing to spread COVID-19 to the people, frankly, that he should care about the most, because if it wasn't for them, he wouldn't be where he is right now. But it underscores how selfish he is. It underscores how politics is everything to him, even before the well-being of the American people, and especially of his own supporters.</s>BLACKWELL: Maria, let me stay with you. The second presidential debate has now been canceled officially. President Trump declined to debate virtually. It's the first time a televised presidential debate has been canceled since they began decades ago. And a question that former Vice President Joe Biden didn't answer at the first one, Senator Kamala Harris did not answer at the V.P. debate, is whether a President Biden would nominate additional justices to the Supreme Court. He now says you'll get the answer to that after the election. Don't voters deserve to know the answer to that before they vote?</s>CARDONA: I think voters are more concerned about what the current president is going to do about COVID-19, which he's done nothing about. But let me talk about the courts for a sec. I think the better question, Victor, is why is this current president and Senate trying to pack the court right now when the majority of the American people believe that the next president should be the one to choose the next Supreme Court justice?</s>BLACKWELL: Understood. But I like the question I asked, Maria. So don't voters deserve to know the answer to that before they go to the polls?</s>CARDONA: I think, again, voters care more about what their president is going to do about a global pandemic that has killed more than 213,000 people. Look, personally, Victor, I do think that expanding the Supreme Court should be on the table. But Joe Biden and Kamala Harris right now, as they should be, are focused on what the pain and the relief that the American people want and deserve right now, that the current president is absolutely turning his back on. And, frankly, the majority of the American people don't want him to choose a Supreme Court justice right now.</s>BLACKWELL: Alice, let me come to you. I want to play this soundbite and then I'm coming right to you after this, because this is Joe Biden a year ago when he was asked this very question.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I would not get into court packing. We have three justices. Next time around we lose control, they have three justices. We begin to lose any credibility the court has at all.</s>BLACKWELL: He answered it a year ago. Alice?</s>STEWART: Well, if that was his answer then, then it should be pretty simple for him to answer it the same way right now. For whatever reason, he's not doing so, and neither did my friend Maria there. Look, this is an important issue. This is not just packing the courts. This is exploding the courts, and adding justices to satisfy their far left agenda. And what is going on right now, Maria refers to it as packing the courts. What they're doing with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, that is filling the seat that is the constitutional obligation of the U.S. Senate and this president. They have every right and every responsibility --</s>CARDONA: Alice, really, you're going to argue that now?</s>STEWART: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need to answer this question honestly and often in order to satisfy a lot of concerns that the American people have, because the fact they're not answering that question is very telling, and American people should know that.</s>BLACKWELL: Alice, I wish I had a Merrick Garland pop-up every time someone makes that argument that they have an obligation to fill that seat.</s>CARDONA: Thank you.</s>BLACKWELL: There were more than 260 days between the death of Scalia and the 2016 election, and Mitch McConnell held that seat open. But I don't have the pop-up, so I'll just make the point. I've got to wrap here. I've got to wrap here.</s>CARDONA: You know what, Victor, let's let the American people decide who the president should be and then let that person choose the Supreme Court justice.</s>PAUL: Maria Cardona, Alice Stewart, thank you both.</s>STEWART: Thanks, Victor.</s>CARDONA: Thank you, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: Christi?</s>PAUL: Great podcast, by the way. You can listen. I listen. It's awesome. OK, so when we come back, North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong-un, this is something we have not seen much of, gets emotional during a massive military parade. And right after that, he unveils, look at that, what looks to be a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

North Korea Unveils Massive New Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

PAUL: There are some moments here that we haven't really seen before, at least not in North Korea publicly. Apparently, Kim Jong-un during a military parade in Pyongyang gets emotional. And there's something else here, too. Will Ripley is with us now. Will, help us understand the significance of what you're seeing there.</s>WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is really an extraordinary scene for a couple of reasons. One, they added to the drama of an already-dramatic event by holding this parade essentially in the middle of the night, which means that tens or possibly hundreds of thousands of people in Pyongyang, who voluntarily go to the parade -- of course they don't have much of a choice, they're expected to go there for the privilege of living in the capitol -- they are out in the frozen cold in the middle of the night, not getting sleep. But then the reason why they did this is because it looks better at night. It adds to the effect. And also, they unveiled this massive new intercontinental ballistic missile, what Some are telling us this is the world's largest liquid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. You'll remember back in January, January 1st, when Kim Jong-un gives his annual address, he said that the world would be seeing a new strategic weapon. But then the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down and North Korea sealed off its borders, leaving the country more isolated than ever before. But now things are back to normal. In fact, when you looked at the images of all these crowds, nobody was wearing masks, there was no social distancing. North Korea essentially reinforcing its claim that has a lot of people skeptical that they don't have a single case of COVID-19 inside the country. But again, they did shut down their borders in January and they have not allowed pretty much anybody in or out. But what was really striking and something that I've never seen before, I'm not sure if we ever have, Kim Jong-un when he was giving his speech, thanking his people for the hard times they're having to endure, the economic problems from the pandemic combined with crippling sanctions over North Korea's nuclear program, he got more emotional than I think we've ever seen. It looks like he was standing there at the podium sobbing. And this went on for quite some time. People in the crowd were sobbing. It was really something to see, and it does tell us a lot about now North Korea is really suffering not only from the pandemic and sanctions, but also natural disasters. They had a typhoon, they had massive flooding. Times are tough in North Korea. But they're showcasing their biggest weapon yet, a weapon that could potentially carry multiple nuclear warheads to mainland United States, dispute the dozens of love letters exchanged between President Trump and Kim Jong-un.</s>PAUL: Will Ripley, always good to get your wrap-up. Thank you so much.</s>BLACKWELL: Thank you, Will. So Europe is now reporting more infections than the U.S. and India and China, the three worst hit countries in the world.</s>PAUL: Now European governments are urgently trying to decipher what to do.</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Melissa Bell in Paris. Here in France, another grim record set on Friday night. More than 20,000 new coronavirus cases declared for the preceding 24-hour period. It comes as four extra cities beyond Paris and Massy enter the maximum alert category this weekend, with all the fresh restrictions that come with that. Across Europe it's a story that we've seen in several different countries, fresh records set, or at least fresh records since the spring and the first wave that hit Europe with fresh restrictions aimed at trying to drive those COVID-19 figures down. And to give you an idea of how quickly things are moving, to take the positivity rate, for instance, here in France, it is now 10.4 percent. It was 5.4 percent just three weeks ago.</s>SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London, where the government is tackling a rise in coronavirus infections. In a single week, the number of cases more than doubled across England between September 25th and October 1st. This as the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson says they are considering their options, and that a major announcement could come next week that could see tougher measures imposed, particularly in the north of the country which has been most impacted by the surge in cases. Now, there's been no official announcement, but local media reports indicate that pubs and restaurants in the north of the country could be closed as early as next week. That government announcement is expected to come with some sort of economic relief for businesses. But for right now the priority is to stem the rise in cases. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said the country is in a perilous moment and must act quickly if it is to avoid a second wave.</s>DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Delia Gallagher in Rome. This week, Italy has seen its highest daily increase in new coronavirus in six months. And while they haven't yet had to shut down or impose curfews on bars and restaurants like other European countries, they have imposed the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors. There's a fine of up to $1,000 euros for failure to comply. Italy has also placed the United Kingdom on its list of high-risk countries. That means anybody coming to Italy from the U.K. must undergo swab tests at airports and other points of entry. Other European countries on the list include France, Spain, Greece, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Italy has extended its state of emergency until January 31st.</s>BLACKWELL: Coming up, we'll show you how a CNN Hero is keeping children from going hungry in the middle of this pandemic.

Soon: Infected Trump Opens White House To Guests As Virus Flares; President Of Notre Dame Faces Backlash After COVID Diagnosis; Pelosi On Stimulus Offer: Trump's Proposal "Two Steps Back".

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We begin at the White House, where soon the gates will open for what could well become a potential super spreader event. President Trump, still possibly contagious from the coronavirus, is holding his first public event since testing positive nine days ago. We know the president has invited 2,000 people and is expected to speak to supporters from the White House balcony. The last large gathering held on White House grounds is now considered to be a super spreader event. At least 20 people in President Trump's inner circle have tested positive for the virus since that Rose Garden event to announce Amy Coney Barrett as Trump's U.S. Supreme Court nominee. And among those who tested positive, of course the president, first lady, advisers, the press secretary, and two U.S. Senators. And on top of that, the president and his doctors remain evasive about his current condition and whether he has tested negative in the last 24 hours.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have been re-tested and I haven't even found out numbers or anything yet. But I've been re-tested and I know I'm at either the bottom of the scale or free.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. We also can't forget all of this comes just 24 days now before the election, with the incumbent sending signals of desperation and isolation. There could have been a virtual presidential debate this coming week, but President Trump would not agree to the virtual format created because of his COVID-19 diagnosis. The debate commission has now officially canceled the second scheduled presidential debate. And this is the first time in seven decades that has happened. We've got a team of reporters and experts tracking all of the latest developments. Let's start at the White House. CNN's Sarah Westwood is there. Sarah, the president's behavior has been described as erratic. The incumbent perhaps feeling vulnerable, isolated and willing to put so much and so many at risk. So what do we know about this event today?</s>SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well Fred, we're expecting the event today to be large. And in fact, we're expecting hundreds and potentially thousands of people to come to the White House and gather on the south lawn today, and those people are not necessarily going to be tested for coronavirus before they arrive here at the White House. The White House has said that masks will be required for the guests to wear while they are on the grounds, and that those people will be screened. That will entail temperature checks and a questionnaire that will likely include questions about exposure or symptoms but they're not saying they will be testing these people. The president will be speaking, as you mentioned, from the White House balcony. Now White House communications director Alyssa Farah told us reporters here at the White House this morning that the president's speech is expected to be brief. They're not expecting at this moment, at least, a long speech from the president. It all seems to be part of this effort all week from the president to project the sense that he's perfectly fine, that he's back to normal, holding this event less than a week that he was released from the hospital. And of course, we are still awaiting results of the president's latest coronavirus test. We do not know if he is giving this speech today while still positive for COVID-19. We do know that yesterday the president said he's no longer taking any medication for the virus though, and he did reveal for the first time that in a lung scan that was conducted at some point since his diagnosis, doctors did detect some congestion, Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: And then Sarah, you know, the president is also scheduled now to hold a rally in the Orlando area on Monday. And Minnesota officials, you know, just announced that at least nine people who were at his rally there a few weeks ago tested positive for COVID. So what kind of precautions, if any, is his, you know, re-election campaign willing to make for that rally?</s>WESTWOOD: Yes, Fred. It's not clear that any precautions are going to be taken. And in fact, the campaign again is like Trump is trying to project the sense that everything is back to normal and fine after this outbreak that sickened so many of the president's advisers. Everyone up to the campaign manager and members of the debate prep team as well. Now, we know this rally on Monday is going to be held at a hangar, an airport hangar. That's typically how these rallies are done and that means that it should be all or partially outdoors. Mask wearing is usually encouraged at these rallies, but not required, and people cluster, tend to cluster and talk very closely at these rallies. So we say see some images of people gathered in large crowds at that rally on Monday in Florida, Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: Right. And just being outside, obviously, doesn't offer that much comfort because hello, the Rose Garden event was outside and a whole lot of people tested positive not long afterwards. All right. Sarah Westwood, thanks so much.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Democratic challenger Joe Biden and his campaign are wasting no time in criticizing the president for holding this event today at the White House. I want to bring in now CNN's Jason Carroll. So Jason, what are you hearing from the Biden camp?</s>JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of sharp language coming from Joe Biden and his campaign on this issue for the president holding these events at the White House. You know, for Biden, it's not just about the president's professional conduct, it's also about his personal conduct. When he was out at a campaign stop in Las Vegas, he said that the president is not only being reckless with his life, but also being reckless with the lives of Americans. And he said, as a result of all of his behavior and everything that he's done, he says that this is a man who is not qualified to be commander in chief.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: His reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis, the destabilizing effect it's having in our government is unconscionable. He didn't take the necessary precautions to protect himself, or others. And the longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets. How can we trust him to protect this country?</s>CARROLL: And the DNC is jumping on board with this as well, Fredricka. We're just now getting word that what they're going to be doing is having a mobile billboard that's going to be driving around the streets of Washington, D.C. around the streets of the White House between 11:00 and 6:00 to show on this mobile billboard the failures of the Trump administration in terms of its response to the pandemic. As for Biden, it looks like that later today he's going to be heading to Erie, Pennsylvania where he's going to be speaking to voters there. That area hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs. Biden is going to be taking his word and his message to workers there, trying to turn around some of those voters, Democratic voters, who went for Trump in 2016, Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Down to the wire with just now 24 days before election day. Of course, voting has already taken place in many places. But that's the big day. All right. Jason Carroll, thank you so much. All right. I want to talk more now about today's event at the White House on the south lawn. David Swerdlick is an assistant editor at "The Washington Post" and a CNN political commentator. Julian Zelizer is a CNN political analyst and a historian at Princeton University. And Dr. Leana Wen is a CNN medical analyst and an emergency room physician at George Washington University. Good to see all of you.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. So David, you first. You know, President Trump, you know, holding this rally despite possibly still being infectious. You know, have a listen to what Dr. Anthony Fauci said about the last big White House gathering.</s>DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We had a super spreader event in the White House and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks. So the data speaks for themselves.</s>WHITFIELD: So as cases spike now around the country and as people continue, you know, to die from this virus, what is the message that this president is sending about inviting people, large numbers, to come to this rally, and he may potentially still be infectious himself, even though he may be far away, from the balcony. But there's a huge message being sent. What would it be?</s>DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well Fred, as Sarah just reported, it's supposed to be short and he will be far away from people and presumably the people at this event will already be his supporters. So the question then is, then what is the point of this rally? It's for show, and the president wants to project that everything is normal and everything is fine. But everything is not normal and everything is not fine. We have a global pandemic. The president himself is sick. And we had a plot this week, an alleged plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan. But all he wants people to think is I am standing here on this White House balcony, presiding over an America where everything is peachy keen. And with three and a half weeks to go before the election, and with the coronavirus case count and the death count approaching a quarter of a million people, he simply can't do that. And this is an attempt to get things back on track now that he has fallen ill to COVID, and let's hope he gets better. He is the president of the United States, no matter what, until January 20th. And he simply can't change this narrative at this point. All he can do is protect the message he wants to do and not address the issues that are affecting most Americans going into election day.</s>WHITFIELD: And then, Julian, as it pertains to the president's condition, I mean still so much unknown about, you know, whether he has been tested recently and what those numbers are. And at the very beginning when did he first experience his, you know, first symptoms before his diagnosis was made public. But then this is what the president said about where he believes he caught the virus.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They had some big events at the White House and perhaps there. I don't really know, nobody really knows, for sure. Numerous people have contracted it. But you know, people have contracted it all over the world. It's highly contagious.</s>WHITFIELD: Ok, so Julian, you know, since the president left Walter Reed Hospital earlier in the week to return to the White House, you know, you say he is just reverting to his form of COVID denialism. I mean, what else is it, if it's not that?</s>JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think that's what it is. This has been very essential to how he's treated the pandemic, often promising that cures exist or really dissuading people from doing what scientists and other experts are urging everyone to do. And from the moment he ripped off that mask, a symbolic gesture to show that he was almost defiant not only to COVID, but to wearing a mask through these kinds of events, he is arguing not just that there's a new normal, but that the war is over. It's almost like a mission accomplished speech, remembering what George W. Bush said in 2003, and we're in it. So since we're in the pandemic, that's a dangerous step to take.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes, and I was on that aircraft carrier and that, of course, was interpreted as a giant misstep. So Dr. Wen, you know, it doesn't seem that this president does anything without intention. I mean, he says, you know, he's no longer taking any coronavirus medications, he's testing low or nonexistent, you know, for the virus. So what would indicate, you know, to you that he is still infectious or still sick ten days now after his announced diagnosis and check-in to Walter Reed?</s>DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: So there are a lot of things that we don't yet know about the president's diagnosis and condition. What we do know, though, suggests that he didn't just have mild illness. He had at least moderate, but most likely severe illness, because he was on medications, including dexamethasone. That's not given to patients unless they have severe or critical illness. Dexamethasone, the steroid, also suppresses the immune system and we know that for individuals who are severely ill or have immunosuppressants that they're taking, that it takes not 10 days, but 20 days that they should be in isolation. And so for the president to go out in public, to go out to rallies around many other people, it actually makes our work as physicians and public health experts that much harder because how are we supposed to tell our patients to follow public health guidance if the president is not following it?</s>WHITFIELD: So talk to me more about that frustration that you, other physicians, scientists, are feeling because the president is saying, not only is he going to have this south lawn event, even though he's going to be on the balcony, but he is hoping to have a rally in Orlando in an airport hangar on Monday, just a couple of days from now. How much harder does all of this make for you and other scientists to try to convey the messages and the dangers of this virus to your patients?</s>DR. WEN: This has been the problem all along in this pandemic, that instead of backing up scientists, the president and other elected officials have been basically throwing science under the bus and have been pitting public health somehow as the enemy of the economy. I mean I wish the president is, instead of doing what he is now and contributing to further super spreader events, I wish he's coming out and saying there is a way for us to prevent coronavirus. Yes, we should be focused on vaccines and therapeutics and that's great, but there are things that we can do to prevent from getting coronavirus in the first place -- wearing masks, physical distancing, crowds. That's really -- avoiding crowds should be what we're doing. We shouldn't be holding rallies with thousands of people as there are cases surging around the country.</s>WHITFIELD: So David, that would mean the president would be, if he were to admit that, he would be taking everything back prior to today. And you know, that doesn't -- he wants the focus to be otherwise, that he's right in all of this. And in fact, "The New York Times" is now reporting that the White House blocked a move by the CDC to require all passengers and workers on all forms of public transportation around the country to actually require a mask. This is more of him digging in his heels, isn't it?</s>SWERDLICK: He's digging in his heels, his administration is trapped being unable to admit as Dr. Wen was just discussing, that they've taken the wrong approach to this. He gave a speech in March where he said everyone has a role. Well, regular Americans, for the most part, have been playing their role. We put on a mask when we go to the grocery store or to the pharmacy. We put on a mask when we walk down the street. We try to keep ourselves distant from neighbors and other people so that we can try and tamp down the virus. Most of us aren't doctors, but that's basic common sense. And it's following the administration's own guidelines. But the White House up to and including the president, has dismissed regular mask wearing. The president, as Julian said, ripped it off from the balcony on Monday.</s>SWERDLICK: And now you have this report from "The Times" saying that there was this common-sense proposal, and this is what leadership is, from the top down leadership would have been we're going to have a national mask mandate. We'll let the lawyers sort out the constitutionality. Me as president, President Trump, would say I'm going to model mask wearing behavior but instead he isn't modelling that behavior, Fred, and his administration squelched that proposal. And that's part of the reason why we are where we are.</s>WHITFIELD: And Julian, it's been said by people who worked with him, I'm using past tense, who would say he just would not listen to his advisers. But at this point, is it an issue in your view that perhaps there's no one who is willing to advise him, that he really is just calling all the shots and, you know, he wouldn't listen to anyone who would speak to him otherwise about this plan anyway?</s>ZELIZER: Yes, you know, this is a president who governs in an unstable way and ignores convention and doesn't have great expertise in many issues. And there's always been an assumption that the adults in the room were somehow going to help guide him or even contain him. Now the adults in the room aren't there. So you have a</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Julian Zelizer, Dr. Leana Wen, David Swerdlick, we'll leave it there for now. Thanks so much. Oh, actually no. I'm going to be seeing you again very soon. We'll leave it there for now but you stay tight. Also, join Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and five former CDC directors for a new "CNN GLOBAL TOWN HALL". Watch "Coronavirus Facts and Fears" tonight at 9:00. All right. Still head, the next presidential debate scrapped. This after President Trump refuses to participate in a virtual debate against Joe Biden, and this because of the president's condition. How both campaigns are responding now. Plus, an about-face from President Trump, stimulus talks are back on after the president abruptly called off negotiations earlier in the week. And this breaking news, the hurricane that slammed into Louisiana is now a tropical depression. But Delta's path, that's what its name was, of destruction, is devastating. We're live next.

Delta Downgraded To Tropical Depression, Flood Risk Still High

WHITFIELD: All right. The hurricane that slammed into Louisiana just hours ago is now a tropical depression. What was once Hurricane Delta is losing strength as it moves inland, currently hovering over northern Louisiana. But the threat remains high. Over five million people across the southeast are still under flash flood warnings. We're also getting our first look at Delta's damage. The storm knocking out power for nearly 800,000 people in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi and adding to the destruction left by Hurricane Laura just six weeks ago. Allison Chinchar is tracking what was Delta in the CNN Weather Center and Derek Van Dam is also with us. So Allison, tell us what it's going to do potentially.</s>ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. I think Fred, the key thing is here. When we say it's weakening or losing strength, we're really just referencing the wind speed. But the overall threat for rain is still going to be there even as it continues to move inland. This is going to be the path over the next 48 hours as it slides off to the north and east into states like Tennessee, Kentucky, bringing a lot of that very heavy rain with it. Because again, notice now widespread a lot of these outer bands really are with this storm. It's raining right now in Birmingham, Montgomery, Nashville. But even also really far away into portions of Virginia. So again, really far away from that focal point of where it just made landfall just less than 24 hours ago. Another concern is going to be the severe aspect. We're talking tornados and damaging winds. This will be a pretty concern for Montgomery, Birmingham, even around Atlanta and Macon, Georgia not just through the afternoon but also into the early evening hours. Here is a look at where that storm is expected to go off to the north and east. Again, even noticing on Sunday a lot of the same cities are still going to be dealing with some pretty heavy rainfall bands including Atlanta, Charlotte, even Knoxville, Tennessee remember, through the day tomorrow. Because of that, you are likely to still have some localized flooding. Widespread amounts, about two to four inches for a lot of these areas, but some isolated spots of six, eight, even ten inches of rain is not out of the question. And for some of the areas where we're talking maybe two, say portions of Mississippi, Arkansas. remember it's on top of what they've already picked up. So that's going to be another concern. And it's why you have this slight risk here for flooding potential. And notice, it's a pretty widespread area, even though the storm itself, we're seeing those winds begin to decrease, that flooding threat, Fred, is still going to be there.</s>WHITFIELD: And that is a huge swath, you know, of an area to be getting this very heavy, seemingly unrelenting rain. Thank you so much, Allison Chinchar. Appreciate that. We'll check back with you. All right. Coming up, the second presidential debate is called off because the president, still unclear whether he remains infectious, doesn't want it to be virtual. So what impact will this have? And what does it mean for the third scheduled debate?

Next Debate Officially Canceled After Infected Trump Refuses Virtual Format

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. It's official. The second scheduled debate in the presidential campaign is off. The debate committee pulled the plug Friday after President Trump, who is recovering from COVID-19, rejected the committee's plan to replace a face-to-face debate with a virtual event format. David Swerdlick and Julian Zelizer are back with me. So David, the president, who is recovering from the virus, rejects a virtual debate. How does he believe this helps him?</s>SWERDLICK: Well, I think he thinks it helps him, Fred, because he doesn't think that a virtual debate is as good of a show. He's nothing, if not a showman. He wants that in-person debate. He wants that big audience. 70 million people watched that first debate. The problem for him is that vice president Biden won that first debate. So Vice President Biden has the upper hand here in terms of these negotiations and can say, look, we're either going to do it virtual or we're not. President Trump doesn't want to adapt to the reality that we're all dealing with. Kids are going to school on iPads. I'm here at my people's house broadcasting to you from Durham, North Carolina. People have adjusted to the new normal.</s>SWERDLICK: But the president seems to want to say in the case of a debate, for him, he wants to do it the old way, even though the rest of us have adapted, and even though he is the one who currently still hasn't been cleared from his COVID diagnosis.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes. He definitely seems to be saying that message of just like, you know, adapt, change, why, as if -- well, he doesn't know how many -- how everyone has had to adapt and change their lives. He said he doesn't even like this format, this virtual because people could cut him off. And Julian, we see that he didn't respect the rules of the last debate, you know. I want you to listen to what the president said on Fox News yesterday, when asked if he would be willing to do an outdoor debate.</s>TRUMP: Well, I would have no trouble with it at all. In fact, when we have rallies outside, we've had no problem whatsoever. Outside is better than inside, as you know, with this crazy thing that's gone on.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Julian, no problems whatsoever. I mean, Minnesota is now saying at an event a couple of weeks ago that nine people have tested positive. We know during that Tulsa event, I mean Herman Cain died after, you know, testing positive. So I mean, how is the president -- how does he believe this is a winning strategy to say nothing happens when people have tested positive and worse?</s>ZELIZER: Well, I think his strategy is to deny the obvious and to take a problem that's pretty hard for an incumbent president to be presiding over in the middle of a pandemic, an economy that's frail, civic institutions are just hanging on by a thread. And his solution is just to pretend, in television fashion in some ways, that we can just have a different kind of show. And I do think he's worried about the debate. I think he's worried about a format where he can be controlled in terms of what he says, because he likes to speak, as everyone else is speaking. And I think he likes the physicality of a debate. That's part of how he tries to win. So I think on both fronts that's another element of what's going on.</s>WHITFIELD: David, you know, we actually heard from the Trump campaign, the communications director, telling CNN, quote, "There's nothing that says that President Trump and Joe Biden can't debate together without the overlords at the commission having a say in the matter. We would be glad to debate one on one without the commission's interference," is the word. And again, this is the first time a presidential debate has been canceled, you know, in seven decades. So what is the White House -- what are his people, you know, intimating, saying that this can happen, but the commission is an interference?</s>SWERDLICK: So those words from the White House would have a lot of -- the campaign, I'm sorry, would have a lot more force and a lot more leverage if again, the president had won that first debate. But as our colleagues, Scott Jennings, has said a couple of times, the president came in too hot. He let Joe Biden look like the bigger person. Vice president Biden won the debate, I would say narrowly, but now the Biden campaign and the Commission on Presidential Debates have more leverage in terms of this is either going to go the way we want to, because we want to keep safe distance and COVID protocols, and the president can sort of either go along with it or lump it. I just want to make one quick question -- one quick point about what Julian said because I think it's important. Julian said Trump likes the physicality. He wants to be able to stalk up behind the vice president like he stalked up behind Secretary Clinton. You can't do that in a virtual debate. And we are where we are, in part, because we haven't as a country gotten a handle on the virus and now he's in the position -- look, he can read a poll. He's in a high single digit national poll lead, the vice president is, ahead of President Trump. And President Trump sees that. I make no predictions on what happens on election day, but this is a situation where the Biden campaign can go steady as she goes. The president's campaign is the one that has to think about throwing the long bomb here.</s>WHITFIELD: Julian, do you sum it up that these are all the hallmarks of a desperate presidency?</s>ZELIZER: Well, they are. I mean there's just no way to look at this as an incumbent who is in trouble and a president who is pretty desperate and doing everything from the stuff we've been talking about with the pandemic, the different steps he's taken, to talking about investigations of his political opponents. It doesn't mean he loses, it doesn't mean he can't be victorious. But right now he's acting in a desperate fashion. He's not acting like a leader. He's not acting with poise and command. He's moving from one thing to another, just trying to salvage this campaign right now.</s>WHITFIELD: So if the re-election campaign believes that the debate commission is an interference, is that the excuse that the Trump camp is using when it says it's in talks with NBC now to do a town hall, possibly on Thursday instead of what was the scheduled debate, David? Do they feel like they have more leverage in designing the kind of format they want in what could be a town hall?</s>SWERDLICK: Sure, and look, they can do that. And it's the American people who are going to lose, Fred if we don't have another debate. Because we've seen a lot of town halls and a lot of campaign speeches from both candidates, we're at the point where they should be chopping it up with each other. But I don't think he'll have an audience. If vice president Biden has a town hall, I don't think he'll have as big of an audience either. If we wind up with no more debates, there still could be that third one on October 22nd. It will be a situation where we just see more of what we've seen all year from now until election day. And I want to emphasize again what Julian said. President Trump could win, vice president Biden could win. We don't know what's going to happen on election day. But campaigns, especially President Trump, are running out of options if they don't go head-to-head against their opponent.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. And thus far, Biden does have a scheduled town hall Thursday night on ABC. All right. We'll leave it there for now. David Swerdlick, Julian Zelizer. Thanks so much. Appreciate you both.</s>SWERDLICK: Thanks, Fred.</s>ZELIZER: Thank you.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead, coronavirus surge. The United States reporting its highest single-day cases in two months. Now Dr. Deborah Birx has a warning for families this holiday season.

U.S. Reports Highest Single-Day Case Count In Two Months

WHITFIELD: It appears the fall coronavirus surge is here. The U.S. reported its highest single-day case count in over two months on Friday, marking three consecutive days of more than 50,000 new cases. The spike has spread across several regions with only two states still reporting a decrease in cases. CNN's Polo Sandoval is in New York tracking the latest developments, Polo.</s>POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Fred. Good morning. Well, consider this, well over two dozen U.S. states have reported higher COVID numbers this week versus what they saw last week. It certainly is an indicator that those numbers are still on the rise throughout much of the country. This as a brand new study is released that's essentially reaffirming what authorities had feared, that young people seem to be the spark that's igniting some of these outbreaks.</s>SANDOVAL: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is out with a new warning, drawing another link between young people in some of the nation's COVID-19 hot spots. The CDC found positive test results generally started rising among people under the age of 25 about a month before a region was designated a COVID-19 hot spot. With the study, researchers are underscoring the need to address young people helping spark outbreaks. A local survey in one Wisconsin county showed young people worried they would feel weird or get odd looks wearing a mask.</s>MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES RESEARCY AND POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: It starts out first of all with college students coming back to universities and colleges and we're seeing substantial transmission there, which then is spilling over into the older adult population.</s>SANDOVAL: This week, the U.S. posted its highest number of single-day COVID cases in nearly two months. Only a few states, that was in green, are reporting declines in new cases this week over last. In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine predicting a very rough winter with both hospitalizations and the average age of patients edging up.</s>GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): Every single number is going the wrong way.</s>SANDOVAL: In the northeast, the moving average of new cases from September 8th to October 8th went up a staggering 91 percent. Dr. Deborah Birx at the White House's coronavirus task force warns one possible reason is silent asymptomatic viral spread among families.</s>DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE COORDINATOR: The communities that are seeing upticks, please bring that same discipline that you're bringing to the public spaces into your household and really limit engagement with others outside of your immediate household.</s>SANDOVAL: In parts of New York City's Queens and Brooklyn boroughs calls for compliance are growing amid an increase in COVID clusters. This week members of Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods protested recent restrictions put in place to curb COVID-19 spread. Though a virus vaccine is still in the works, one CDC official says formal plans to distribute it once it's available are on target to meet an October 16th deadline in some states and in D.C.</s>SANDOVAL: And just this morning, in neighboring New Jersey, the former governor Chris Christie announcing that he has been released from the hospital after his COVID treatment. Fred, you'll recall that he was diagnosed with the virus immediately after the president and the first lady did. Christie also attended that Rose Garden event that Dr. Anthony Fauci has dubbed a super spreader.</s>WHITFIELD: And helped -- and was part of that team to help the president prepare for that debate. All right. Polo Sandoval, we are so glad that he's out and hopefully feeling good. Thank you so much, Polo. All right. Still to come, the president of the University of Notre Dame facing backlash following his COVID-19 diagnosis. Why a student petition is calling for him to resign.

President Trump Speaks To Crowd At White House Event Despite Recent Coronavirus Diagnosis; President Trump Plans To Resume Campaigning; Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Criticizes President Trump For White House Event; Republican Senators Reject White House Proposal For Economic Stimulus Bill.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've got to get rid of them, so bad for our country. First of all, I'm feeling great. I don't know about you. How is everyone feeling? Good?</s>TRUMP: And I'm honored to welcome, we call this a peaceful protest --</s>TRUMP: -- to the White House in support of the incredible men and women of law enforcement, and all of the people that work so well with us. And I have to tell you, our black community, our Hispanic community, thank you very much, thank you.</s>TRUMP: But before going any further, I want to thank all of you for your prayers. I know you've been praying when I was in that hospital. I was watching down over so many people. And I went out to say hello to those people, and I took a little heat for it, but I'd do it again. Let me tell you, I'd do it again.</s>TRUMP: And on behalf of myself and the first lady, it just has been really an incredible outpouring, and we're starting very, very big with our rallies and with our everything, because we cannot allow our country become a socialist nation. We cannot let that happen.</s>TRUMP: And that's what would happen, or worse. By the way, or worse. I want you to know, our nation's going to defeat this terrible China virus, as we call it.</s>TRUMP: And we're producing powerful therapies and drugs, and we're healing the sick, and we're going to recover, and the vaccine is coming out very, very quickly, in record time, as you know. It's coming out very, very soon. We have great, great companies doing it, and they'll be distributing it, and we will through our military, very, very rapidly. through the power of the American spirit, I think, more than anything else, science, medicine will eradicate the China virus once and for all. We'll get rid of it. All over the world, you see big flare-ups in Europe, big flare-ups in Canada, a very big flare-up in Canada, you saw that today. A lot of flare-ups, but it's going to disappear. It is disappearing. And vaccines are going to help, and the therapeutics are going to help a lot. I just want to thank everyone this afternoon. What beautiful colors. Where did you get that color, Candace? Where did that come from?</s>TRUMP: What a beautiful color. I want to get one of them. I want to put one of them on instead of a white shirt. I want to thank you, though, seriously. Every day, more black and Latino Americans are leaving behind left wing politicians and their --</s>FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, there you have the president there addressing a mostly black and brown community of people there at that rally on the South Lawn of the White House, and the president, perhaps a little bit of a departure from the language he has been using, that the virus will just simply go away. In this case, we just heard him say that science and medicine will help eradicate the virus. Bottom line, still unclear whether the president is still contagious, what his latest numbers are, whether he has been tested, and whether he has tested negative after nine days since his diagnosis for COVID- 19. And now this is his first public event, inviting people to come to the White House, and from the images of the people standing in line earlier, very few wearing masks, and in close proximity to one another, all defying guidelines by the scientific and medical community on how to protect yourself in this pandemic. Let's talk further about all of this, and this remarkable scene here on the South Lawn. I'm joined by a team of correspondents and experts, CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond, CNN's chief political analyst Gloria Borger, Carl Bernstein, CNN political analyst, journalist, and author, and Dr. Richina Bicette, medical director at Baylor St. Luke McNair campus emergency department and an assistant medical director at Ben Taub Hospital Emergency Center, and Dr. Jeremy Faust, emergency physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Good to see all of you. Jeremy, let me begin with you, and perhaps you can help paint a better picture of who was there and why the president felt like he needed to do this. Clearly there are signs from many who are analyzing him that this is an erratic president who is just starving for attention right now and feeling like the underdog and would invite people to the White House to make him feel better.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, no question. Listen, when the president was in the hospital last weekend, he was agitating to get out of there and get back to the White House. Once he made it back to the White House residence, he was agitating to get out of the White House residence and into the Oval Office, which he then subsequently did even as he put several other White House aides at risk of potentially catching that virus. Now we see the president is running back to the campaign trail essentially. The White House is calling this an official White House event, but you heard very clearly from the president at the very top of his remarks, he talks about voting Democrats into oblivion, and now he's talking about clearly a political message, calling this a peaceful protest, which is the exact same thing that the president says when he is holding campaign rallies across the country. So there's no question that the president has been agitating to get back on the campaign trail. He is currently losing this race for reelection, and the president knows that as much campaigning as he can do to try and change that message. Now, in terms of who was actually there, we know that there were several hundred people on the White House South Lawn. As you can see, there is almost no social distancing whatsoever. I did check in with the pool producer who is representing the five TV networks in there. She told me that most people are indeed wearing masks, so that is something that has perhaps changed slightly previous events that we have seen at the White House. But no question, these people have not been tested. They've only gotten temperature checks and a questionnaire asking them whether they've had symptoms recently or not, which we know is no stopping people with asymptomatic, from transmitting this virus asymptomatically. But there are at least most people wearing masks it seems here. Now, most of these people are coming from this Blexit group, which is a conservative group founded by Candace Owens, the black conservative activist, and this group is essentially aimed at getting African- Americans, who vote overwhelmingly Democratic, to begin voting for the Republican Party and specifically, of course, for President Trump. So the president, as he is delivering this law and order message, he is addressing this group, but of course we know that so much of this is about establishing that permission structure for white voters, to convince white voters that this president is not racist, as he, of course, contends, despite what Democrats have said. And so obviously, much of this message is aimed not just at the people who are in this audience, but at a broader white audience across the country, specifically in the suburbs, which the president needs in order to win this race for reelection.</s>WHITFIELD: And then Gloria, notable. The president essentially giving a shoutout to the black community, the Hispanic community, as he's looking out at the audience. And when you think about this pandemic, people of color are dying and are impacted disproportionately, and yet the president repeatedly insists that he's done more for the black community than just about any other president. There are so many messages here and contrasts.</s>GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, you're absolutely right. And there's another message here, which is we're in the process of normalizing campaign events at the people's house, at the White House. We had a convention there, and the president's handlers went out of their way this morning to say, no, no, this is just an event. It's not a campaign event. And yet the president comes out saying vote these people into oblivion. Well, what does that mean? That's a campaign event. So the question is, the Hatch Act, and all the other things that they're not paying any attention to in order to get the president out there. And I want to repeat again. Not only has this pandemic, as you point out, Fred, affected minorities, but the president hasn't told us he's negative yet. And these people, if they don't catch COVID from him, could be giving it to each other. So you had the president standing up there on the balcony telling a lie, saying that COVID is disappearing, as he put it. It is not disappearing, as we all know. We know it's on the rise in many states. We know it is not going away. And yet the president of the United States, who wants to be the super hero, says it's disappearing, and I'm exhibit</s>A. WHITFIELD: So Carl, the president has been sending some extraordinary messages throughout, and clearly you can see his frustration that he hasn't been able to be on the campaign trail, and he's trying to make some modifications, and he's been sending a lot of messages in so doing. Take a listen from the president just this week alone.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They had some big events at the White House, and perhaps there, I don't really know, nobody really knows for sure, numerous people have contracted it, but people have contracted it all over the world. It's highly contagious. I was in not great shape, and we have a medicine that healed me, that fixed me. I feel better now than I did two weeks ago. It's crazy. And I recovered immediately, almost immediately. I might not have recovered at all from COVID. I just saw the doctors today. They think I'm in great shape. I'm in great shape.</s>SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Did you test negative?</s>TRUMP: And I'll tell you, I took this Regeneron. It's phenomenal.</s>HANNITY: Have you had a test since your diagnosis a week ago?</s>TRUMP: Well, what we're doing is probably the test will be tomorrow.</s>WHITFIELD: So Carl, again, his condition remains a mystery, but the president continues to downplay the seriousness of COVID, even after he said, while in Walter Reed, I get it, I get it. Clearly, he doesn't get it.</s>CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: The significance of this event at the White House today is that it is taking place in the midst of an unprecedented national security crisis about the real mental and physical health and condition of the president of the United States, and a cover-up to keep both of those elements secret. We need information. We don't need the president of the United States at the balcony spouting the kind of stuff that his self-serving rhetoric that we just heard and that the virus is going to, again, magically disappear. We need to know where the virus is with the president. We need to know what the virus has done to affect his physical health, whether or not he still has pneumonia of the kind that afflicts patients with COVID- 19. We need to know his test results. We need to know the testing regime itself which has been covered up. When don't when the president was tested and for what. And it really at this point is a national security threat unlike we've ever seen because of the ability of America's adversaries to take advantage of this situation, of a president who, from what we have seen in some of the clips you showed us, and Republicans on Capitol Hill themselves are saying he has shown himself to be demonstrably unstable, physically, mentally unstable in the last week. And we need to know what his condition really is. This event told us nothing about it, his real condition, nor has his doctors or his family or anyone else with the ability to get hold of the records told us anything reliable about his real condition. And this event has done nothing to clear that up.</s>WHITFIELD: Everyone, stand by. I want to hear from the doctors as well. We're going to take a short break for now. We'll be right back.

Model Predicts Nearly 395,000 Coronavirus Deaths In United States By February Of 2021

WHITFIELD: A grim new forecast predicts the United States will now see nearly 395,000 coronavirus deaths by February. And that would mean another 180,000 deaths between now and the second month of 2021. This increase prediction comes as several regions of the country are seeing a surge in cases. The model predicts the daily death toll will peak in mid-January with around 2,300 deaths a day. I want to bring back now Dr. Richina Bicette, who is the medical director at Baylor St. Luke McNair campus emergency department. Dr. Bicette, good to see you again. So this new model predicts 180,000 more deaths under current conditions. But states are still rolling back regulations despite the surge. What do you make of that?</s>BICETTE: I'm not sure what to make of that, Fred. And I really don't know what these states are thinking. Specifically, let's look at Florida. Florida this week has reported 6,000 new cases of COVID-19 over a two-day period. And despite that staggering number, they're still rolling back their regulations and allowing bars and restaurants to fully open. It just doesn't make sense. We know without a doubt, the data has shown that allowing people to gather in close proximity and in close spaces is guaranteed to spread COVID-19. Why are we rolling back restrictions when we're seeing cases start to rise?</s>WHITFIELD: So this model also says that we could save nearly 80,000 lives if 95 percent of Americans were to wear masks. Everyone should know this by now, right, the power of the masks. But do you have much hope that more people will honor that kind of so that the numbers do stay lower as opposed to rising?</s>BICETTE: Ninety-five percent is quite a lofty goal. We have to look at what's going on around us right now. The commander in chief of the United States of America is not following the guidelines that have been set forth, the same guidelines that we're saying could potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives. So if the leader of our country isn't following those guidelines, how do we expect 95 percent of other people to follow those guidelines? What's even more sobering to think about is that the current model predicts that we will reach almost half-a-million lives lost if things stay as they are right now. We're seeing a rise in cases. So if cases continue to rise as the models are showing recently over the last two weeks we've seen numbers going up, I would hate to think what the case load could really look like.</s>WHITFIELD: So this also comes on the heels of a disturbing "New York Times" report saying the White House blocked an order from the CDC requiring masks on all public transportation. Again, this seems like common sense, and again, we're talking about close confines that people would be on a bus, subway, et cetera. How frustrating is this for you as a member of the medical community to hear that that urging would be pulled back?</s>BICETTE: I'm bewildered. I'm in a state of disbelief. The federal government has mishandled this pandemic from the very beginning, and just when I think it can't get any worse, there's yet another egregious display of a lack of empathy, a lick of humanity, a lack of care for the almost 214,000 lives that have been lost. There is a saying that if you play foolish games, you win foolish prizes. And I think that's what we seeing coming out of the White House right now. I'm not surprised that they're not requiring masks and they're not listening to the CDC guidelines. We've seen Donald Trump who recently tested positive for COVID-19 completely let the CDC guidelines fly in the wind regarding his isolation and when he should be in contact with other people. He's holding events, not wearing masks. He's going to Florida to have a rally next week. I feel as if I'm not Twilight Zone here.</s>WHITFIELD: It's one thing for the president to say, OK, I'm going to stick to my guns because I said this message earlier and I don't want to change my tune, but by now the general populace should be hip to what's real, which is the masks do save lives, and it's just astounding that there would be so many people that would be defiant just because they see the president being defiant.</s>BICETTE: Absolutely. There are a lot of people who take his words as gold, and there are a lot of people who don't look into the data and who don't research these things for themselves. And that is why Donald Trump is so very dangerous. That's why he's a threat to public health, and that's why he's a threat to national security, because the rhetoric that he's spouting, despite it being disproven, and despite you being able to figure out that a lot of these things are not true in our lives just by doing a little bit of fact checking, there is still a large fanbase of his that will believe them.</s>WHITFIELD: Dr. Richina Bicette, always good to see you, thank you so much.</s>BICETTE: Thank you for having me, Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: Absolutely. More news in a moment, but first, book lovers on a mission to make sure young readers have access to books about black children. Today's Impact Your World has more on an organization called Young, Black, and Lit.</s>KRENICE ROSEMAN, CO-FOUNDER, YOUNG, BLACK, & LIT: When a child sees themselves reflected in the books that they read and the books are a mirror to them, they feel valued. It wasn't something I really thought about until my niece came around, and it really kind of saddened me that there were bookstores that she would walk into and not be able to feel seen. Young, Black, and Lit, is a non-profit organization based in the Chicagoland area. Our mission is to provide children's book to youth featuring black characters at no cost to the youth or their families.</s>DERRICK RAMSEY, CO-FOUNDER, YOUNG, BLACK, & LIT: Since 2018, we've provided over 5,000 books to community centers, organizations, schools, and directly to student's homes.</s>KAREEM WILSON, AMIR'S FATHER: It was just always a challenge finding the ones for his age. They introduced the program to the school. he was pretty excited about it. Show them your favorite.</s>AMIR WILSON, THIRD GRAD STUDENT: Other people say they can't do stuff, then they prove them wrong.</s>RAMSEY: We try not to just focus on the historical figures, though we value their importance, but we also try to focus on some of the simple, everyday life activities that you can go through. But we also have books around getting a haircut.</s>A. WILSON: Is Miles Morales the best Spiderman ever? His suit is better than all the other suits. And he has powers.</s>K. WILSON: You think your Spiderman?</s>A. WILSON: Yes, I do.

New Study Highlights Negative Economic Impact Of Coronavirus Pandemic On Low- Income Black And Hispanic Households

WHITFIELD: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reportedly told 20 GOP senators today you all will have to come to my funeral. Meadows said that would be the possible outcome of being a messenger of bad news. He would have to be the one to tell the president that the Senate had rejected his proposed $1.8 trillion stimulus package. While the GOP found the price tag too high, in a letter today to Democrats, House speaker Nancy Pelosi called it insufficient, and, I'm quoting now, one step forward, two steps back. This all but assures Congress won't pass an economic relief package before Election Day. Meantime, some of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic continue to be people living in communities of color and low-income households. In addition to not having enough food to feed their families, these already vulnerable populations are also facing the inability to pay their electric and gas bills. This gets even more worrisome as the temperatures drop in the coming months, making the need for help by way of another stimulus package all the more urgent. Joining me right now are Sanya Carley and David Konisky, professors from Indiana University's O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Good to see both of you. You two have just published a second set of survey data, building on data released in June, which finds that 22 percent of respondents have had to forgo medicine or food to pay their energy bill in the previous month. Nine percent are waiting for the power to be shut off, and four percent already had their service disconnected. So Sanya, you first. In addition to these results, your survey showed that only 30 percent of black and Hispanic households reported receiving a stimulus check. How concerning are these results?</s>SANYA CARLEY, PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY, INDIANA UNIVERSITY: Well, thank you, Fred, for having us. I really appreciate it. And I appreciate you devoting a segment to this immensely important subject. So as you noted, we've been following a population of about 2,000 low income households over the course of this year during the pandemic, and we are following up with them for many rounds of survey administration. And this is a representative sample, so we can draw inferences from this sample back to the broader population of low-income households. And what we found, you already gave some of the statistics, we've found that energy and security, which is the inability to pay one's energy bill, or to have access to energy, is incredibly prevalent, and it's growing increasingly worse over the course of the pandemic. As you noted as well, it's the case that it's not just all low-income households, but particularly certain social demographic populations are experiencing energy insecurity at a much higher rate. And so we find that households that identify as black or Hispanic, about a third of them have identified an inability to pay their energy bill, and approximately 14 percent of Hispanic households have been disconnected from their electricity provider, which is especially concerning because this has been during a time in which there have been many state protections for disconnection. So you also noted the statistic on the stimulus, so this is quite concerning for us. Approximately 38 percent of our respondents report that they never -- I'm sorry, it's actually the opposite -- 38 percent of the respondents say that they received the first stimulus check. And it's much worse for black and Hispanic households -- 30 percent. This is incredibly concerning because this money could be used to pay one's energy bill, or pay off other things, pay for other things such as food.</s>WHITFIELD: And David, many of these problems existed before the pandemic in terms of food insecurity, having a hard time paying bills, basic necessities. But what parts have been made worse as a result of this pandemic?</s>DAVID KONISKY, PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY, INDIANA UNIVERSITY: I think the point you raise is a very good one, Fred, that this is a chronic problem. People across the country, millions of Americans every month face very difficult decisions about whether they should devote limited resources to paying utility bills or putting food on the table, perhaps seeking medical care. So these are impossible trade-offs that people have to make all the time. Certainly, the pandemic has made things worse. The severe economic dislocation that we've seen as a result of the pandemic has really exacerbated these problems. We have households that already were having difficulties becoming amplified, becoming worse. But we also have households where this is a new problem, right, where previously maybe they had an easier time making ends meet. They're now facing pretty severe consequences of the economic disruption that we've seen across the country.</s>WHITFIELD: Sanya Carley, David Konisky, thank you so much for shedding more light on what has already been a persistent problem only worsening as a result of the pandemic, appreciate it. This breaking news on an alleged terror plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. According to a statement released by the military, two of the suspects previously served in the Marine Corps. They are Joseph Morrison and Daniel Harris. Thirteen men are charged in this plot to kidnap and kill Governor Whitmer. Six faced federal charges of conspiracy to kidnap, and seven others linked to a militia group are facing state charges. Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN NEWSROOM continues with Erica Hill in a moment.

Now: Infected Trump Opens WH To Guests, Two Weeks After Super Spreader Event In Rose Garden; U.S. Added Over 57,000 New Coronavirus Cases Yesterday

MATT EGAN, CNN LEAD WRITER: The really important thing to remember is that women have been hit very hard by this crisis. They're dropping out of labor force at a rate that we've never seen before. So as Republicans and Democrats struggle to get a deal here, real lives are hanging in the balance Fred.</s>FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: That's the understatement for sure. Matt Egan, thank you so much.</s>EGAN: Thank you.</s>WHITFIELD: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All right we begin at the White House where right now guests are starting to arrive for what could well become a potential COVID super spreader event. President Trump, still possibly contagious from the coronavirus, is holding his first public events since testing positive nine days ago and we know the president has invited 2000 people and plans to greet supporters from the White House balcony. Today's event is taking place alarmingly close to where the last large gathering on the White House grounds took place. That one now considered to be a super spreader event at the Rose Garden. At least 20 people in President Trump's inner circle have tested positive for the virus since that ceremony to announce Amy Coney Barrett as Trump's U.S. Supreme Court nominee including among those who tested positive; the president, First Lady, advisers, the press secretary and two U.S. senators. Meanwhile Americans across the country are suffering a worsening pandemic. The nation added over 57,000 new cases yesterday. The third consecutive day infections hit over 50,000 and this outbreak putting so many lives in danger while the president in an act of potential political desperation is putting thousands of his supporters at risk by inviting them to the White House. And all of this as we are just now 24 days out from the election and we won't see the candidates share the stage next week as scheduled because the president refused to participate in the second scheduled debate which has changed from in-person to virtual. That was the pitch following the COVID diagnosis. Well, that prompted the Debate Commission to cancel the event because the president didn't agree to the terms of a virtual event. And this is the first time in decades, seven decades that a presidential debate has not happened. All right, let's start at the White House. CNN's Sarah Westwood is there so Sarah the president's behavior has been described as erratic. The incumbent perhaps willing to put so much and so many at risk with today's event. Now what do we know about the arrangements made for the event and who are the nearly 2000 you know who would show up?</s>SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes Fred, we're expecting this to be a large crowd. Hundreds and potentially as you just mentioned, thousands of people are expected to gather on the South Lawn and in fact, they should be arriving within this past hour. That's when the gates opened for guests to attend. Now these people are not necessarily going to be tested for COVID before they get out there on the South Lawn. There are some precautions that the White House announced. They say masks are going to be mandatory for the people out there and that they're going to conduct some kinds of screening which is going to entail temperature checks and a questionnaire likely about exposure and symptoms and things like that for the people to answer. But that mask requirement was not enforced just moments earlier in the briefing room where national security adviser Robert O'Brien was seen giving a tour and they're not wearing a mask despite signs everywhere in that briefing room that everybody in that room needs to be wearing a mask. Now White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah said there are going to be these precautions in place but the president's speech today is expected to be brief.</s>ALYSSA FARAH, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: We're making sure we're taking precautions so that those in attendance are screened before they come in. The president's at a great distance. He's going to be up on the balcony and very, very briefly address supporters there. They'll be screened. It'll be shorter but he's going to give some remarks and it'll be all outdoors distanced of course. And then hopefully once he's cleared by the doctor, we're going to have him back on the road soon.</s>WESTWOOD: Now keep in mind, we're still awaiting the results of the president's most recent coronavirus test so we don't know if he is heading into this event, giving a speech while still positive for the virus and we gave an update on his health last night in which he said he is it no longer taking any medication for the virus but he revealed for the first time that lung scans at some point since his diagnosis revealed that there was congestion in his chest. So a potential point of concern there, nonetheless the president is expected to hit the campaign trail this week. He has a rally in Florida scheduled for Monday, Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Sarah Westwood, thanks so much at the White House. All right, the president's rally at the White House also comes as there is a disturbing rising COVID cases around the country. The U.S. reported the highest daily rising cases in more than two months on Friday and the surge is happening in multiple regions and as Americans head into the holiday season Dr. Deborah Birx has a dire warning.</s>DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE MEMBER: So the communities that are seeing upticks, please bring that same discipline that you're bringing to the public spaces into your household and really limit engagement outside of your immediate household.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, the U.S. is also recording its third consecutive day of more than 50,000 new cases. I want to bring in Dr. Rebekah Gee. She is the CEO of the LSU Health Care Services division and a former Louisiana Secretary of Health. Dr. Gee, good to see you.</s>DR. REBEKAH GEE, CEO, LSU HEALTH CARE SERVICES DIVISION: Good to be here.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, before I ask you about you know Dr. Birx's outlook, what is your view on the fact the president says there were some lung scans done and it does show congestion? What does that tell you about the president's condition right now as he's about to host this big event at the White House?</s>GEE: Look, he's doing something that we're telling the public not to do, which is that if you're actively infected you should not be among other people. You should be quarantining. Whether what those lung scans showed, I don't know whether it was pneumonia or something else, clearly he was on dexamethasone and other medications that are usually used for moderate to severe COVID but the most important thing is I think it's unconscionable that he's having a public event with active COVID potentially exposing others to the disease.</s>WHITFIELD: All right and then just moments ago, we heard from Dr. Birx there who says you know she's concerned about the upcoming holidays, families getting together, what are your concerns?</s>GEE: Yes, look, I mean COVID is something that we can't see and we can't assume that just because someone is family that they don't have it. We are not at the point that we need to be with our testing and we know that people who are asymptomatic spread this disease more than people who are symptomatic so we have to carry the same precautions in public that we do when we are at home. And so that means the Holy Trinity; mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing and particularly being conscious of those who are elders. You know this is the time to have a virtual Thanksgiving, virtual high holidays. You know these are concerning times but we know that mask wearing works. In fact an Arizona when mask wearing was implemented, we had a new study come out yesterday, 75 percent drop in COVID cases so it's no surprise that it works with family and it also works in the public.</s>WHITFIELD: Among those who are asymptomatic, many of which are young people, what are your concerns about reports that it's the younger adults, young people who might be the biggest spreaders of this virus?</s>GEE: Yes look, we've seen big upticks in 28 states. Three states with more than 50 percent increases and nine states with seven day in a row historic increases in COVID and many of these states are in areas where colleges have reopened. We know that 3,000 cases a day in addition to what we would expect are related to college campus reopenings and we know that the American Academy of Pediatrics in a recent report released last week said that kids are much more likely to be the ones diagnosed with COVID right now. In fact in October about 10 percent of our COVID cases are kids. In April, it was 3 percent so certainly a dramatic rise in the number of children infected and likely responsible for local community spread.</s>WHITFIELD: OK, I heard you on the message you think the White House is sending with its scheduled rally today and then there is. The New York Times is reporting that the White House blocked a move by the CDC to require all passengers and workers on all forms of public transit around the country to require a mask. You know at this point in the pandemic, the message from anyone you know to discourage mask wearing, it is just astounding. What does this tell you that the White House was discouraging the CDC to take these kinds of measures?</s>GEE: Well unfortunately, I think that this president has treated the American public like he's treated people in the White House and those at this event today you know with disregard for their health and I unfortunately, this is an unfortunate thing but I think that we need to listen to the scientists, the CDC and other officials like Dr. Birx who have been credible sources of information. Dr. Fauci, throughout this epidemic and you know, not listen to politicians. They should be you know in general stop talking or when they do talk, they should use information from our experts and unfortunately, that's not what's happening.</s>WHITFIELD: Wow OK, yes, what a message that is. I mean all these elected leaders are that, they are leaders and it's pretty sad to hear a message that people shouldn't be listening to the leaders because some are just not honoring you know, the studies and the research and the results found by our medical and scientific community. Dr. Gee, please stick around with me. We've got more to talk about. Meantime, Joe Biden is campaigning today in Pennsylvania and the president's decision to hold a White House event as the pandemic forces worsens is drawing fire from both Biden and his campaign. The former vice president's campaign stops come one day after up president Trump rejected a virtual debate. CNN's Jessica Dean joining us now from Pennsylvania. So Jessica, how strongly is the Biden campaign trying to send this message?</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good afternoon to you Fred. I think it's pretty clear from the Biden campaign, they don't want Donald Trump as they said rewriting the rules for the debate this late in the game. Their argument is that this these dates were agreed upon back in June and once Donald Trump was not willing to accept a virtual debate which the Biden campaign was, they went off and did their own thing so now Joe Biden will be in Philadelphia for a town, his own town hall next Thursday and that debate has been officially canceled by the commission on presidential debates so that means that likely the last time we will see those two men together on stage out will be October 22. That's the third debate that was scheduled for Nashville, Tennessee. The Biden campaign has requested that that debate be a Town Hall format so that voters are allowed to interact with both the candidates but it remains to be seen exactly how all of that will shake out for the 22nd. Meantime Biden back on the campaign trail yesterday. He was in Arizona and Las Vegas over the last couple of days in Nevada and we heard him really have his sharpest rebuke yet since President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis. Take a listen.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: His reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis, the destabilizing effect it's having on our government is unconscionable. He didn't take the necessary precautions to protect himself or others. And the longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets. How can we trust him to protect this country?</s>DEAN: And of course, the Biden campaign and Joe Biden have made Donald Trump's response to the COVID pandemic absolutely central and integral to their case to the American people making the case, that Donald Trump fumbled the response and as a result Americans are worse off. You heard horns honking in the background, Biden talking there. The campaign is moved toward having drive-in events. They've been very particular about having socially distance events that are safe, Fred and here we are in Erie, Pennsylvania, a rural part of Pennsylvania. Joe Biden has been going into some of these parts, making his case to white working-class voters right outside of the Union Hall. You can expect to hear from him this afternoon that message of economic recovery for those workers, Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Jessica Dean, thank you so much in Erie, Pennsylvania. Appreciate it. All right, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reports he went home from the hospital, this morning following treatment for coronavirus. He tweeted the news adding, "I will have more to say about all of this next week." Christie tested positive for COVID-19 a week ago today. He had helped the president prepare for the first debate and attended the nomination ceremony in the Rose Garden there for Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Christie, who is overweight and asthmatic had checked himself into Morristown Medical Center as a precautionary measure. He was prescribed the antiviral drug Remdesivir. All right, coming up flooded roads, downed power lines and displaced wildlife. Hurricane Delta leaves a trail of destruction during the middle of a pandemic. I'll talk live with a doctor who was on the front lines of two disasters. Plus an alleged terror plot foiled against Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer. Are President Trump's words becoming a rallying cry for extremists?

Thirteen People Charged In Alleged Plot To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer

WHITFIELD: On Thursday, federal and state law enforcement officials revealed that Michigan's governor was the target of an alleged domestic terrorism plot. 13 men are charged in this plot to kidnap and kill Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Six face federal charges of conspiracy to kidnap and seven others linked to a militia group are facing state charges. According to the federal complaint, one of the goals of the group was to start a civil war. After the announcement Whitmer placed some of the blame on President Trump for refusing to condemn white supremacists. The president attacked her by saying she did a terrible job which did not sit well with the governor.</s>GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER, (D) MICHIGAN: The fact that after a plot to kidnap and kill me, this is what they come out with, they start attacking me as opposed to what good, decent people would do is to check in and say are you OK.</s>WHITFIELD: Joining me now to take a closer look at the broader implications are former FBI Special agent and legal and national security analyst Asha Rangappa and Rashawn Ray, David M. Rubenstein fellow at the Brookings Institution. Good to see you both.</s>ASHA RANGAPPA, CNN LEGAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thanks.</s>WHITFIELD: All right so Asha, you first. What do these charges tell you about the evidence investigators and prosecutors have on these suspects?</s>RANGAPPA: Well, they have direct evidence in this case, Fredericka. If you read the complaint, the FBI was using a confidential human source, an informant who was on the inside of this domestic terrorist cell, recording the conversations, both audio and video, describing their plot and this included you know firearms trainings, you know use of explosives, how they were planning to kidnap governor -- the governor and put her on trial as well as what they planned to do with law enforcement when -- in order to divert them and or you know confront them as well with violence.</s>WHITFIELD: And Rashawn, you know the governor isn't the only one who's making a correlation between you know these allegations and the president's rhetoric. How do you evaluate what the president has said even post these charges now and perhaps the silence of the U.S. Attorney General?</s>RASHAWN RAY, DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN FELLOW, THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Well, I think what happened - well, thanks for having me on. I think what happened is unfortunately predictable. Rebecca Shankman and I at Brookings, we wrote a piece about the relationship between COVID and guns and also thinking about the economy and right-wing racism. And one thing we know is that in places where Donald Trump campaign that in 2016, that hate crimes increased 200 percent. We also know that during this moment, particularly from say February through April, that ammo purchases increased 600 percent. And from this time compared to this time last year, that gun purchases have increased 70 percent, we know that Donald Trump in April said liberate Michigan. We also know that the recent presidential election, he says stand by talking to the Proud Boys. And then we also know that he called Kamala Harris a monster the other day. So Donald Trump is complicit in what we're seeing happening in the Department of Homeland Security report recently stated that domestic terrorism is the biggest threat to our democracy.</s>WHITFIELD: And Asha, I mean, exactly what Rashawn said and then if you look at the detail, as you mentioned, of these allegations, I mean, it only adds credence to what the FBI Director Wray and others in National Intelligence had said about domestic terrorism being a huge if not the number one threat of the United States.</s>RANGAPPA: Yes. The FBI has been warning about this since 2019. The director testified again early this year that homegrown violent extremism is the most persistent threat to the nation right now. We also know that foreign actors like Russia, or exploiting this homegrown radicalization to agitate for things like Civil War, this is one of their disinformation, you know, talking points with which they're saturating these circles. And I think to Dr. Ray's point, what we need to understand about the messaging that is coming from the President is that even if it is not explicitly directing these groups to commit violence, what he is doing is undermining social trust. It is telling people, you cannot trust your fellow Americans. You cannot trust the process, when he's calling it ring. You can't count on, you know, the Democratic values to, you know, protect you. And what it does is it means that there are no ground rules. These people take this as you're helpless. You have to take this power into your own hands. And I think that breakdown of social trust, when it's coming right from the top is incredibly damaging to our Democratic fabric.</s>WHITFIELD: And then Rashawn and is it your feeling that as a result of these arrests of the evidence gathered, this is a microcosm of the bigger picture and threat of domestic terrorism across this country, or the severity of what we're hearing of these charges? Do you believe that this is, you know, an anomaly?</s>RAY: No, unfortunately, it's not an anomaly. What we know is that 75 percent of domestic terrorist acts are committed by right wing extremists. And 75 percent of them are committed by white nationalist or white supremacists. Now, with that being said, this group is much more complex than that. They seemed to really be rallying around a distrust for government and the fact that the government has failed, the government has failed the economy, the government has failed the health and well-being of people. And their responses to that is happening. Rebecca and I, one of the interesting things we found is that purple states, some of these battleground states like Michigan, where oftentimes you see a Democratic governor, and oftentimes a Republican- led legislature or something along those lines, that these purple states is where we see these types of fractions happening. And what happened in Michigan is not simply an anomaly. It's a pattern that we need to be serious about.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you so much to both of you. Appreciate it. All right, and this just in a major ruling, on elections in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Federal Judge Rejects GOP Fears Of Voter Fraud.

WHITFIELD: All right, this just in, a major setback for President Trump's campaign in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. A federal judge has denied a request by Trump and the Republican Party to make ballot drop boxes in Pennsylvania, unconstitutional. CNN's Kristen Holmes, joining me now by phone. So Kristen, what else did the judge say?</s>KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, this is a huge loss to the Trump campaign and for Republicans. And it should not be understated that this will shape the way that votes are counted both by mail and in person in this critical swing state. So you talked about this, the drop boxes. That is a key part of it. Republicans had argued they were unconstitutional. The judge said nope. Signature mapping another big issue with mail-in voting, Republicans have tried to argue that they couldn't have just similar signatures that they had to be exactly the same as what the state had on record, which we know actually ends up having a lot of -- making a lot of ballots be rejected. A judge overruled on that. And the last one was on poll watching, Republicans had argued that people should be able to be poll watchers outside of the counties that they live in. And of course, as we know, in Pennsylvania, there are urban areas that are more Democratic. They were arguing the people in more -- in red districts to be able to come into those districts et cetera, so again, overruled on all this. And one very important thing to note, this judge who made this decision was appointed to the bench by President Trump. So there's no real political athlete -- politics at play here as we usually hear from the campaign. They say this was an Obama judge or this is a democratic judge. I suspect that's going to take away that argument from them. I do want to note that there are still cases in front of the Supreme Court that have been asked to be reviewed by Republicans in the state. One of them is involving the counting of absentee ballots. A lower court judge said that it was OK for state officials to count valid up to three days after the election if they had the valid postmark. Now Republicans in Pennsylvania had said that's not fair. They want to bring it to the Supreme Court. So obviously, it is a never-ending battle. And Fred, as we've talked about and this is a huge part of the Republican strategy, this election to keep things tied up in court.</s>WHITFIELD: Right. And of course, we'll see what, you know, what the Trump camp plans to do now that this judge has rendered this decision. And in this, just to underscore what you said, you know, Kristen, that he was appointed this judge, Judge Nicholas Ranjan, was appointed by Trump. And in this 138-page opinion, he says while plaintiffs may not need to prove actual voter fraud, they must at least prove that such fraud is certainly impending. They haven't met that burden. At most, they have pieced together a sequence of uncertain assumptions, a pretty strong language coming from of the judge there. Kristen Holmes, thank you so much. We look forward to more reporting on that. Appreciate it. And we'll be right back.

Economic Crisis Leaves Families Struggling To Buy Food; Dr. Deepak Chopra Discusses Mental Health Amid Pandemic & Economic Crisis.

WHITFIELD: The nation is battling a health crisis and an economic crisis and, for millions of Americans, that means struggling with hunger. According to the Hamilton Project, 14 million children in the United States are not getting enough to eat. That's three times more than during the Great Recession and five times more than before the pandemic. CNN's Kyung Lah spoke a mother of three who is running out of food after being furloughed from her job.</s>ROSE RODRIGUEZ, MOTHER OF THREE RUNNING OUT OF FOOD: Wake up. You got to go to school.</s>KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The morning routine for Rose Rodriguez and her three girls.</s>RODRIGUEZ: Time for school.</s>LAH: And 3-year-old Alejandra --</s>RODRIQUEZ: Come on, get up.</s>LAH: -- and 12-year-old Terry in one bed. And 13-year-old Ulisa sleeps on the couch. Breakfast --</s>RODRIGUEZ: You want this one?</s>LAH: -- is what she's scrounged from the day before.</s>RODRIGUEZ: It's good? Yes. I'll eat whatever is left over.</s>LAH: Everything has changed since coronavirus.</s>RODRIGUEZ: Thank you. The pantry, that's all I have.</s>LAH (on camera): Before coronavirus, was this full?</s>RODRIGUEZ: Everything was full.</s>LAH (voice-over): This was Rodriquez at her full-time job at LAX Airport. She worked for Qantas Airlines cargo making more than $20 an hour.</s>RODRIGUEZ: I thought everything would be good. I thought, you know what, I have money for my rent. I have money for the food. I don't have to worry about the girl's health. I never thought that, on Wednesday, I would show up to work. But, no, it wasn't that way. You could lose your job at any time.</s>LAH (on camera): How about the food? I mean, how much --</s>RODRIGUEZ: The food, that's what we struggle more.</s>LAH: Tell me about that struggle?</s>RODRIGUEZ: Some things we eat. Some things we don't.</s>LAH (voice-over): What she manages is cheap unhealthy food. Rodriguez says she's applied for fifty jobs. Thirty interviews later, still nothing. Her unemployment applications stalled, part of more than one million stuck in a log jam of California system. Her car and most of her furniture repossessed. She's months behind on rent.</s>RODRIGUEZ: When we go up to the laundromat, we see homeless washing themselves. And one day, if I don't go back to work, I'm going to be one of them. Yes, I lived check by check. But now, it's not a check. It's a box. A box that I have to stretch out for seven days.</s>LAH (voice-over): That weekly box is donated food from the L.A. Food Bank and Salvation Army.</s>LAH: While her older daughters learn virtually on public school laptops --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who is ready for lunch.</s>LAH: -- Alejandra gets free childcare and lunch at the Salvation Army, too young to understand a virus' impact on her family.</s>RODRIGUEZ: My youngest, she wants what she sees. But I tell her, I can't. I have to tell her tomorrow so she can forget.</s>LAH (on camera): And every day is tomorrow.</s>RODRIGUEZ: Yes. Everything is tomorrow.</s>LAH (voice-over): Food banks across the country have seen hours-long lines as record unemployment devastates working families.</s>MORTIMER JONES, THE SALVATION ARMY, SIEMON CENTER: We do have peas.</s>WHITFIELD: At the salvation Army food bank in Los Angeles, they fed 10 times the number of people as last year.</s>JONES: It is not like it happened for a week or two weeks. It's been happening for months. And even though we're trying our best to help, we know that we're barely scratching the surface. Because we can only do so much with the limited resources that we have.</s>LAH: Today, fresh food bank supplies mean their shelves are more full.</s>LAH: But the joy is short-lived. Counting down the days to the next food box has begun.</s>RODRIGUEZ: They shouldn't go through this. They don't have to be worrying like how we can eat the next day. And mom has to go look for food. Or has my mom eaten? And they shouldn't be worried about that. Like I should be working. And they should be just worried about school and their futures. It is just hurts.</s>LAH: Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>WHITFIELD: And we're facing an unprecedented number of crises this year, from the coronavirus pandemic to an unstable economy and a divisive political climate. Well, the list seems to go on and on. And the weight of all of these things is pretty immense. With more people facing mental health issues, today's recognition of World Mental Health Day could not come at a more crucial time. Joining me right now is Dr. Deepak Chopra, a clinical professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego. Also the founder of the mental wellness organization, Chopra Global. And author of the new book, "Totally Meditation." Dr. Chopra, it is more than just stress so many of us are facing. And it's so good to see you. And I know all of our stress levels are through the roof. So we know you are going to help bring it all down. So help us through this. You know, step by step. What do we need to be recognizing? And how do we digest what seems to be the weight of the world on so many of our shoulders?</s>DR. DEEPAK CHOPRA, CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF FAMILY MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO & AUTHOR & FOUNDER, CHOPRA GLOBAL: So first of all, thank you for having me, Fredricka. I think what we're experiencing globally is what we call grief. And in different parts of the world, people are going through stages of grief. So some feel victimized, some are angry, some are hostile, some are resentful, some are helpless, some are resigning, some are accepting. I think it is important right now to accept what is. And what is, is a financial crisis, a pandemic of stress and, at the same time, the illness acute and chronic. So once we accept, then we can find meaning. And the meaning right now is, if we are not centered within ourselves, there are no creative solutions. So we have to be open minded. We have to be patient. We have to be carrying for each other. And we have to reflect, what is the meaning of what's going on. Unless we ask these questions, there's no solution.</s>WHITFIELD: That's powerful. You know, people have to accept this but then how do you get centered as you say?</s>CHOPRA: Well, right now, the stress that people are experiencing is due to something called sympathetic overdrive. Your sympathetic nervous system gets overactive. It puts you in what is called fight/flight/freeze mode. And then we engage in ego dramas, controlled through manipulation, anger, resentment, so on. So to stay centered with have the stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system through deep breathing, mindful awareness. Just pausing, noticing, feeling and choosing. And I have been practicing this forever. But now, I'm engaging lots of people globally to collectively experience attention, affection, appreciation, and joy. And if we can do that together, we can be the change we want to see in the world. It is easy to only blame the pandemic or national policies or wait for a vaccine. But the situation is very complex. Climate change, social injustice, racial injustice, economic injustice, war, terrorism, polarization of politics is all hindering creative solutions. Creative solutions can only come when we have shared vision, we bond emotionally, we look for how he can support each other, and we have open systems and total transparency of facts. And then we can create a new story.</s>WHITFIELD: Meditation is something else because sometimes people think meditation is, you know, trying to not to think of anything. But you underscore, no, it is thinking about a lot. I tried myself during this pandemic and, I must say, you know, it is very peaceful. It is very helpful. But sometimes my own mind still wanders because I'm like, I'm supposed to be thinking of something constructive. But then you get all tensed up thinking about the stuff that brought you to that moment. So what is your best advice? It is the title of your book. What is the best advice for people to try to find an instructive way which to meditate, where you place your mind?</s>CHOPRA: OK. So wherever you are right now, whoever is watching, just stop, just stop right now. Take three deep breaths and smile. From your head to your toes. Feel your body. And now, choose the next experience consciously. If you do this -- it is called Stop -- S -- stop - D -- take three deep breaths and smile. Or observe and feel. And proceed now with awareness. Make this a habit. Call it a stop formula. Meditation, of course, is also about self-reflection inquiry, and many things, awareness of mental space, awareness of relationships, awareness of consciousness, where all experience occurs. It is a huge discipline. But a simple way to start is just observe your breath. That is it.</s>WHITFIELD: Wow. Start with Stop. I like it. Dr. Deepak Chopra, always good to see you. Thank you so much.</s>CHOPRA: Thank you very much. Glad to be here.</s>WHITFIELD: I'll be putting those lessons to better use now in my intensive meditation and everything else. Thank you. I'm feeling better already right now, actually, just hearing his voice. All right. Coming up, guess what? Now it is hundreds of people gathering at the White House to hear President Trump speak, to see him. However there remain concerns about whether this event. Even if the president is on the balcony, this event could be a super spreader in the making. And there you see a lot of people who are gathering on the South Lawn. Who are they? Why are they there? And what is this really all about? We'll take you there live, next.

Ignoring Risks, Infected Trump Holds Event At White House, Addresses Crowd From White House Balcony

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill in for Ana Cabrera. And we begin with begin with breaking news, a desperate president down in the polls inviting hundreds to hear him speak while he is infected with coronavirus.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- most important than anything else, science, medicine will eradicate the china virus once and for all. We'll get rid of it all over the world. It's going to disappear. It is disappearing. And vaccines are going to help and the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>HILL: So, you see the president there a short time ago speaking from the balcony. A mere two weeks after a Rose Garden ceremony became a super-spreader event. And yet, somehow, here we are again, it's important to note the president is lying when he says the virus is just going away. Not only is it currently spreading through his own White House, but for the last three days, the U.S. has reported more than 50,000 new cases a day. The last time we saw that happen in this country was mid-August. It's not October. A key model is now projecting 395,000 U.S. deaths by February. The president, though, he wants to get out there. The Trump campaign says, he's planning to hold three rallies next week, all of this as the White House is still refusing to answer basic questions about the president's health. Among them, is he still contagious? We don't know. Has the president tested negative? We don't know. When did he contract the virus? We don't know that either. Here is what we do know. The clock is ticking. There are just 24 days until the election, and that is clearly on the president's mind. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is standing by at the White House. So, Jeremy, the administration says this event, complied with CDC guidelines, what sort of safety measures were in place today?</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that the White House was doing temperature checks of people who were coming in. They were also asking them questions about whether or not they were having in the systems and everybody was required to bring masks to this event. And, in fact, we did most people at this event, we got several hundred people in the south lawn of the White House, they were indeed wearing masks. But what was missing here was any social distancing, whatsoever. You saw these people closely packed together. And we should note that the CDC points out mask-wearing is not a substitute for social distancing, it's something that you should layer on top of that. The CDC also says that these large gatherings like this, these large in-person gatherings, are the highest risk category. They say, large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least six feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area, those are the highest risk events that you can engage in the United States as it relates to this coronavirus pandemic. And so we should note that while just two weeks after the White house held this event in the Rose Garden, that turned out to be a super- spreader event. While the president may have been at a much greater distance from these people here, these hundreds of people who attended this event on the south lawn, they could very much be at risk of contracting coronavirus from each other or from the White House staff, which we know, again, they're still experiencing this outbreak here at the White House.</s>HILL: They are, and we haven't heard the president say anything about that. Meantime, the campaign has already announced three rallies for next week and there are still these questions, really important, really easy to answer with a yes or no, Jeremy, of whether the president had actually tested negative yet for coronavirus since his infection. Any further clarity today?</s>DIAMOND: No. And we should point out that Alyssa Farah, the White House communications director, said earlier today that they would release that information as soon as they have it, once the president tests negative for coronavirus, suggesting that, as of yet, the president has not yet tested negative for the virus, but, of course, his campaign is moving full steam ahead here, Erica. And they have three campaign rallies scheduled for next week in some of these key battleground states on Monday in Florida, on Tuesday in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and then on Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa. These are all states that the president won in 2016 and that needs to win most likely in order to secure his re-election. And so what is clear here, Erica, and what has been clear from the president's public rhetoric since he contracted this virus is that he's using his illness not to educate the public on the risk of coronavirus, not to warn his supporters, many of whom may not believe, many of whom I've interviewed at his rallies who don't believe in the severity of this pandemic. He hasn't used this moment to educate them on the severity of this illness, which got him so badly, instead he has used it to amplify his message throughout this pandemic, and that is to amplify his downplaying of the risks of the virus. We heard the president days after he was released from the hospital, say, don't be afraid of this virus, don't let it dominate you. And now, we see that the president is very intent in these final weeks of this campaign to continue forging ahead in the same way that he has before, and that is with rallies where you have thousands of people packed together elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder. And you can listen as well to what the president said when he was asked specifically about whether or not he has tested negative just last night. Listen.</s>TRUMP: I have been retested and I haven't even found out numbers or anything yet, but I've been retested and I know I'm at either the bottom of the scale or free.</s>MARK LEVIN, FOX NEWS HOST: When is your next test going to be?</s>TRUMP: I don't know, probably tomorrow, Mark. They test every couple of days, I guess, but it's really at a level now that's been great to see it disappear.</s>DIAMOND: And so you see the president there unable to say that he's tested negative yet, most likely because he hasn't. And, of course, this is a continuation of the lack of transparency we've seen around the president's illness. And we still don't know as well when the president last tested negative before he tested positive for the virus, including whether he tested negative before attending that presidential debate with Joe Biden. Erica?</s>HILL: Yes, the White House is certainly not forthcoming on answers to those questions either. Jeremy, great reporting as always, thank you. Joining me now, Infectious Disease Expert and former New York Assistant Commissioner of Health, Dr. Celine Gounder, Washington Bureau Chief for The Daily Beast, Jackie Kucinich, and Political Anchor for Spectrum News, Errol Louis. So, Dr. Gounder, as we look at what we just saw a short time ago at the White House, this event is double the size of what we now know is a super-spreader event in the Rose Garden two weeks ago. And based on what we just heard from Jeremy Diamond, was it any safer, the fact that we did see a few more masks there?</s>DR. CELINE GOUNDER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Erica, I am very concerned that they are holding another mass gathering at the White House. We know that mass gatherings are by far the riskiest kinds of social situations for transmissions of coronavirus. Yes, the mask will reduce the risk but masks aren't perfect. Being outdoors isn't perfect. Each of these interventions reduces the risk to some degree but none is perfect. I think big picture, what also concerns me is it's not so much the president infecting people who are attending this event, it's that you have a lot of White House staff who have been exposed, who have not been appropriately contact traced by the CDC, who may be incubating the virus or infected with a virus and who could potentially infect those who were attending this event there today.</s>HILL: Well, to that point, we know that symptoms can take up to 14 days to appear today, as 14 days, two weeks since that event. Based on what you say, should anything be held at this point at the White House until we know that everyone who could potentially come in contact there is safe?</s>GOUNDER: I think that's a really important point. I think there continues to be a lot of confusion about what is quarantine, what is isolation, for how long. Quarantine is 14 days from the time that you were first exposed that you should not be around other people. The incubation period is 14 days. In terms of isolation, that's really referring to somebody who is sick, who is infected, like the president. And that is a minimum of ten days after symptom onset, minimum of ten days. And for patients who have more severe disease who end up in the ICU who maybe are on immunosuppression, that could be up to 20 days.</s>HILL: As we look to at what we heard from the president, I mean, this was clearly a campaign-style event. The president also said this was an event, as we know, for African-Americans, for Latinos. These are the two groups that have been hit hardest by the virus in this country, Errol. And yet the messaging from the president certainly wasn't addressing that or addressing those needs, which is perhaps, on the one hand, not surprising and yet, it is a glaring omission to not even talk about that, Errol.</s>ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Sure. It's troubling in some ways. Because with another part of the government and Health and Human Services, they've put out millions and millions of dollars to specifically try and reach black and Latino and native communities because the rates of hospitalization and mortality are so much higher in those communities. It's a real serious problem and it has been from the very beginning. And, again, it's not unknown to this administration for the president to not even mention it, for the president apparently not to have taken it into account, when, specifically, gathering black and Latino supporters to the White House and then packing them in depends that way, really shows the kind of a lack of regard for them. Everyone is going to have to really educate themselves if they want to deal with this administration because they've made it unquestionably clear that their stance is going to be bold defiance of the very science that their own administration has put forward to the public. So there are conflicting messages. People are going to have to really choose safety.</s>HILL: Conflicting messages, there's also a lack of messaging, a lack of transparency, which, again, is not new to this White House. But it is increasingly important when we're talking about a president who is infected with the virus himself. Jackie, it really stood out to me, and we heard Jeremy played the clip there, but the fact that when the president was asked last night about when he was last tested, whether it was negative, he couldn't even answer the question in the friendliest of formats on Fox News. That in itself, Jackie, is really telling.</s>JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, right, because it's important to know when he was infected, so we can project or try to figure out when he could be COVID-free. I mean, the fact that they're going forward with these rallies, the president traveling on a plane, going somewhere with his staff, that there's going to be people, he can't isolate on Air Force One, you're on an airplane. And so --and attracting all these people in Florida, which have been hard hit by the virus and some of these other states that are still grappling with the virus. It's just -- as Errol says, it shows a willful disregard. And it's not that we are curious about the -- it's not just a curio when the president was infected. This is important information for the sake of public health and for the sake of the country. He's the president of the United States. His health is important to the health of the country.</s>HILL: Absolutely, it is. Dr. Gounder, he was talking a little bit more about, I guess, sort of where he's at and last night was saying that he need not any more medications, he also gave a few more details. Take a listen.</s>TRUMP: I feel very strong. I didn't feel very vital. I didn't feel like the president of the U.S. should feel. And I knew there was something a little bit off.</s>LEVIN: Did you want to leave earlier, the hospital, earlier, than they said, Mr. President?</s>TRUMP: I did. They wanted to keep me for observation. They wanted to be sure I was good. But I did. I was there for, I guess, 3.5 days. They wanted to keep me -- I wanted to leave after the first day. I really felt I was in not bad shape after the first day. Right now, I'm medication-free. I'm not taking any medications as of probably eight hours ago or so. I'm medication-free, which frankly makes me feel good. I don't like medication.</s>HILL: I'm guessing, not a medical expert, but it's only have been 8 hours, there could be something in his system, Dr. Gounder. But in addition to that, his physician said in a memo that the president is cleared to resume his activities. But what was interesting is he didn't talk at all about the data that was used to make that assessment. So, give us a sense. If -- and I know you're not treating the president and you obviously haven't been able to see what's happening with him. But for any patient who had been diagnosed, who had had some of these medications, who had serious enough symptoms to be hospitalized, what kind of data would you be using to clear them to return to regular activities?</s>GOUNDER: So, Erica, we would look at a couple of different things. At a minimum, you would want to see their fever curve, their temperatures. You would want to see their oxygen saturation levels, what are their oxygen levels without supplemental oxygen, and not just at rest, when they're walking around. You would also want to see some blood tests that give you some sense as to whether they are resolving the infection. I think it's also really important to point out, he says that he is off of all medications. Dexamethasone is usually used for a ten-day course, and so he would not have completed a ten-day course of dexamethasone by now assuming we're being given full and complete information. So it's very difficult to make a determination as to whether it's really appropriate to clear him given the complete lack of transparency about his clinical course.</s>HILL: Despite the president saying that once having contracted the virus, he has now learned so much and he really understands it better, it doesn't seem that anything has changed. Jackie, as we look at this moving forward, how do you expect Joe Biden, who's really been a little bit more forceful, I think, in the last few days, how do you expect him to jump on what we saw earlier today?</s>KUCINICH: Well, I mean, you heard him rebuke Trump in strong terms. He's increasingly rebuking him in strong terms since he came out of the hospital. I think they're back on air with negative ads about the president. And I think the Biden campaign is just going to stay the course at this point and he has been consistent in pointing out how the president has made this pandemic worse by his rhetoric, by making masks into a political issue. It's not a political issue, it's science, which is something you're hearing from the Biden campaign over and over and over again. And I think that message just keeps on getting stronger. Assuming the president continues to get better, Biden did show restraint once the president was in the hospital. They did pull down those ads. But as long as the president is out and campaigning, I think you could expect Biden and his campaign to keep hitting them hard on the pandemic, on the handling of the pandemic and how they continue to promote misinformation and, yes --</s>HILL: Errol, 24 days to go now. There you go. I got it. I followed you, Jackie. Don't worry. Errol, 24 days to go now as we look at what the president can do in these final three weeks and change, he still seems to be consistently just messaging his base. Any chance that's going to change?</s>LOUIS: Well, he would be well advised to switch up that strategy. What we saw today basically was a catastrophe from a political standpoint. It was supposed to be a 30-minute speech. He quit after about 17 minutes. He started saying things that were so off the wall that a lot of the coverage was simply cut midstream, as CNN did, just because he was putting out false information. So he's going to have to do considerably better than that if he wants to make the best use of these last three weeks. And the shame of it is, the mystery of it, frankly, is that he's the president of the United States. People will cover him. If he just -- because you want to stand on a balcony and talk to cheering throngs, the reality doesn't allow for that right now. So you're going to have to do the next best thing, whether that's an in-person interview. There are all kinds of different ways of doing it. If you have seen town halls that have been done by Joe Biden and Joe Biden is really just kind of running up and down the length and breadth of the country in an innovative way, taking advantage of the circumstances as finds them. The sooner the Trump campaign realizes that that's what they are going to have to do, the more likely they will be to have a successful conclusion to this campaign. Right now, it's not going very well.</s>HILL: Errol Louis, Jackie Kucinich, Dr. Celine Gounder, thank you all. Just ahead, why the president's two balcony appearances this week could define his presidency? You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Dr. Megan Ranney Discusses Trump Touting Unproven COVID Antibody Treatment As "Cure"

HILL: Troubling signs of a pandemic getting worse not just around the globe but in the United States. More than 57,000 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Friday across the nation. That's the highest single day number of new cases in the United States in nearly two months. And check out that map. Cases rising in 28 states. In the meantime, this is President Trump pushing an unproven antibody treatment. Just take a listen.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): This is the antibody and Regeneron. It's the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen. It's not Remdesivir. Maybe that helps a little bit. But Remdesivir is from -- not the same thing. This is stuff that is so good. And I'm just saying that we have something that will cure this now and a cure.</s>HILL: The president calling it a cure. Joining me now, Dr. Megan Ranney, emergency room physician at Brown University. Dr. Ranney, when we look at this, there's a big distinction, obviously, between something that's a cure and something that is a treatment. Can you give us the facts on this one? What should we all know today?</s>DR. MEGAN RANNEY, EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN, ALPERT MEDICAL SCHOOL, BROWN UNIVERSITY: The first and most important fact to know today, the only way to avoid COVID-19, to avoid dying from COVID-19 is to prevent yourself from getting infected in the first place. There's no proven cure for this disease. There are some treatments. Regeneron may be one of them. But we don't have enough data to know if it works. The only thing you can guarantee to do to prevent yourself and your family from getting sick, getting hospitalized or dying is to stop yourself from getting sick in the first place, which is to wear a mask, wash your hands, and try to maintain physical distancing when you can.</s>HILL: Those three things we have known for months. We heard from Rick Bright, this top scientist who was abruptly ousted in April after he pushed back on the president pushing Hydroxychloroquine. He spoke with Jake Tapper this week and I was really struck by some of what he had to say. I'm going to play some of that for you.</s>RICK BRIGHT, FORMER HHS SCIENTIST: He thought Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine were miracles, a gift from God, the cure-all. Miraculously going to address this virus. They weren't. He thought disinfectants were something we look into. That wasn't sarcastic. I watched it. I was horrified that I would get a call within a day at BARDA to start a clinical study or investigating how we could inject disinfectants. That was a real panic moment for us in science.</s>HILL: Again, he was working on the vaccine. The fact that he said the president was absolutely serious. And we know because we heard about the calls that came in from people who tried to swallow some sort of disinfectant thinking that it could, in fact, help them with coronavirus, which it can't, we know. In fact, it could be deadly. When you hear that, though, and hear, too, that, once again, he's saying the president was using that word "miraculous," saying Hydroxychloroquine could be a cure, it's clear what the president is looking for.</s>RANNEY: Yes. Erica, it's like the little boy who cried Wolf. He keeps touting that there's some miracle, there's some amazing thing that's going to make this all go away. Just today, we heard him say that COVID is disappearing. That is false. We have no proven miracle cure. And it does a disservice to my patients and my community to continue to say that he somehow found this magic, which, again, it is magical thinking to think that we found a cure. The only thing we have is prevention. And he's distracting us from that by creating these mythical creatures that somehow he has power over. But they don't actually work.</s>HILL: When we look at the way the numbers are rising across the country, are we entering the second wave we've heard so much about or is this just another peak in the first wave?</s>RANNEY: Erica, myself, I am an E.R. doc. And my colleagues across the country, we are all seeing increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients, that are coming into our E.R.s, who are getting really sick, requiring hospitalization and even intensive care. We did see those spikes in numbers about a month ago that were largely younger people going back to college. But what we're seeing now, it's starting to spread in the community. And we are all deeply afraid this is the beginning of that dreaded second wave. We still don't have adequate personal protective equipment for physicians and nurses on the front lines across the country. We still don't have adequate testing supplies. And as you and I just discused, we still don't have a cure. So we're quite fearful for what we are heading into and what we're starting to see in our hospitals.</s>HILL: Amazing that we're still talking about this in October, inadequate testing, inadequate PPE. Dr. Megan Ranney, always appreciate your insight. Thank you. With President Trump infected with coronavirus and on a combination of drugs that have never before been given to someone dealing with coronavirus, just who decides if the president is fit to lead? Your legal questions answered next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Federal Judge Blocks Order Limiting Ballot Drop Boxes In Texas.

HILL: Two big court rulings ahead of the election. First, in Pennsylvania, where a federal judge has denied the Trump campaign and Republican Party's bid to make ballot drop boxes in Pennsylvania unconstitutional. The judge rejecting Republicans' fear of voter fraud, saying it's possible but not proven likely. Meantime, in Texas, a federal judge there blocking an order by the state's Republican governor to limit ballot drop box locations to just one per county, even if that county has millions of residents. Now, before the ruling, CNN's Ed Lavandera got a look at just how difficult it can be to get to just one designated drop box.</s>ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to Harris County, Texas. There are 2.4 million registered voters in this county. And if you're one of those voters who is skeptical of voting in person because of the coronavirus pandemic, or you're concerned that the postal service won't get your ballot to the elections office in time, county officials here had set up 12 satellite drop boxes where people could drive their mail-in ballots and then drop them off at these locations across the county. But the governor of Texas has ordered all counties across the state to close all of those down and that they can only have one of those satellite drop boxes open in the weeks leading up to the election. So, this is the story of what it will take to get to that ballot box in Harris County. It's just after 9:00 in the morning. We are in the far northeast corner of Harris County. The only drop box now available in this county is at NRG Football Stadium, which is 45 miles away. But one of the locations that was closed down was just over 20 miles, so it's kind of along the way so we're going to drive by that location first. Harris County, which includes the city of Houston, is nearly 1,800 square miles, much larger than Rhode Island. This county building is one of the 11 drop sites that was shut down by Governor Greg Abbott. It took us about 31 minutes to get here. It's where we met Peaches Sullivan, who was dropping off voter registration forms for nursing home residents.</s>PEACHES SULLIVAN, DROPS OFF REGISTRATION FORMS FOR NURSING HOME RESIDENTS: People are still worried. Why would you risk being -- having people come out even more when they don't have to, especially with the preexisting conditions that they have.</s>LAVANDERA: This is a drive where you're going to see -- it's almost a slice of America. You'll see a little bit of everything on this drive from northeast Harris County to NRG Stadium where this drop box location is. Of course, critics of the governor say this is really just a masquerade way of suppressing voter turnout, making it more difficult for voting populations in highly Democratic towns like Houston and Austin to be able to safely submit their votes in the age of this COVID pandemic. The Texas governor says his decision will increase ballot security and help stop illegal voting, though there are no widespread problems with voter fraud. So, this is the one drop box ballot site in Harris County. Harris County clerk, Chris Hollins, says the Texas governor's move to close down the ballot drop sites is an abuse of power.</s>CHRIS HOLLINS, HARRIS COUNTY CLERK: To make it so that our voters who have disabilities, our elderly voters, have to drive over an hour, more than 50 miles in some cases, to drop off their mail ballot, it's unfair, it's prejudicial and it's dangerous.</s>LAVANDERA: The drive took us about an hour and eight minutes, So round trip, you're looking at about two hours and 15 minutes. And quite honestly, it was an easy drive. We caught the traffic at a good time. It was actually relatively smooth sailing considering how bad traffic can get in the city.</s>HILL: Our thanks again to Ed Lavandera. As we know, staying active is more important than ever for both your physical and mental health. For people recovering from addiction, that outlet can be life-saving. And 2012 "CNN Hero" Scott Strode and his nonprofit provide free athletic activities and a sober support community for thousands. When COVID-19 forced the organization to close its gyms, they found other ways to stay connected online. CNN's Phil Mattingly gives us a look.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Keep moving, everyone. Let's try to get two or three more. You've got 20 seconds. Nice job, Phil.</s>PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What was your thought when coronavirus first started to spread and lockdowns really started to kick into gear?</s>SCOTT STRODE, CNN HERO: I just knew that that social isolation was going to be a big risk for relapse for a lot of people. So, pretty quickly, we pivoted to offering virtual programs. We knew we had to keep people connected in this sort of uncertain and stressful time.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three, two, one. And down for the sit-up.</s>STRODE: Just always lifts my heart to log into a Phoenix virtual class and meet somebody in recovery who's doing the workout in their basement somewhere in Tennessee, where we don't even have in-person programs, but they can come to the Phoenix anyway.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice job, everyone.</s>HILL: To learn more about Scott's program and to see if Phil made it through the class, just head to CNNheroes.com.

COVID-Infected Trump Holds Event At White House; Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) Is Interviewed About Trump Addressing Crowd From White House Balcony

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Top of the hour now, good afternoon. I'm Erica Hill, in for Ana Cabrera. And we begin with breaking news. President Donald Trump who is still battling coronavirus invited hundreds of people to hear him speak in the midst of a pandemic that he has consistently downplayed, failed to contain. It is now just 24 days until the election, and his speech from the White House balcony was a clear attempt to get back to some sort of normal -- although let's be honest, it's tough to say what's really normal at this point. The president who, again, himself is infected with a virus that has now killed some 214,000 of his fellow Americans, isn't just ignoring public health guidelines. He's making a mockery of them. This event at the White House flies in the face of science and the recommendations of his own White House coronavirus task force. It, of course, though, is not the first time. And keep in mind there's still a lot that we don't know about the president's illness. It's been radio silence from the president's doctors since Thursday. We don't even know if the president is still contagious. Today's event, exactly two weeks after the event that you see here for Amy Coney Barrett, with far fewer people -- well, that sparked an outbreak. So, let's call today's event is a dangerous nonessential political rally, this as the country is setting records it shouldn't. More than 57,000 new cases added on Friday. Those are numbers we haven't seen since mid-August. More than 213,000 Americans have now died. We're talking about parents and grandparents, friends who didn't have access to the same care or the same treatments that the president did. Many families, as we know, unable to say good-bye to their loved ones, some of them lucky if they could even get a FaceTime call. The president says he has learned a lot since contracting the virus. But today, it appears little has changed for the president. His focus is not on the virus. He has yet to acknowledge the many staffers around him who are also dealing with this virus. And make no mistake, even if it's being ignored, the virus is raging, and it does not care who you vote for or where you live. And if we don't start to change our behavior and maybe look out for one another, things will get worse. An influential model is now projecting another 181,000 deaths by February 1st. But again, if most of the country wore masks, 95 percent, we could significantly reduce that number. And if I sound like a broken record, it's because none of this is new, but yet, here we are on October 10th. Jeremy Diamond joining us now from the White House. So, Jeremy, masks, we know, were encouraged. Were they required at today's event? What kind of safety measures did we see today, especially compared to what we've seen in the past?</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the hundreds of people who arrived on the South Lawn of the White House to hear the president address them, they were required to bring masks, not necessarily to wear them. Although we did see most people who were attending this event were indeed wearing those masks, but social distancing, completely out of the picture. You can see on your screen right now these people were tightly packed together on the south lawn of the White House, several hundred people, and, of course, the CDC makes clear that these large gatherings where social distancing isn't possible are the highest-risk category and they also make clear that masks are no substitute for social distancing. You should be doing both together. Now, as for the president, his message focused mostly on this issue of law and order but he did also address the coronavirus. Listen to what he said.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think more than anything else, science, medicine will eradicate the China virus once and for all. We'll get rid of it all over the world. It's going to disappear. It is disappearing, and we're -- vaccines are going to help and the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>DIAMOND: So you can see, Erica, not much has changed in the president's messaging on the coronavirus, still insisting that this virus is somehow going to disappear when, of course, we know the reality here in the United States is anything but. In fact, cases have been rising in the United States, as you mentioned. We hit 57,000 cases yesterday. That puts the 7-day average, moving average of cases near 50,000 cases per day. So, we are clearly headed in the wrong direction, even as the president talks about spikes in places like Canada, which is experiencing a tiny, tiny fraction of the number of cases that we are seeing here in the</s>U.S. HILL: The other thing that's so remarkable to me, Jeremy, is here we are, and the White House still is not answering a very simple question as to whether the president has tested negative yet for coronavirus since his infection. Nor have they answered when he last tested negative before ultimately testing positive. Any chance we're going to get those answers or more information on his health status as we know? Because he's got three rallies scheduled this week.</s>DIAMOND: Well, look, the White House communications director, Alyssa Farah, this morning said that we would know as soon as the president's medical team has cleared him to go out and resume his public travel and his campaigning. We haven't seen that as of yet, so we can only assume that the president as of now has not yet tested negative for coronavirus, and that he is still indeed infectious. Of course, we know that those CDC guidelines say that basically ten days after the onset of symptoms, you can begin to exit that isolation and resume your public activities. We are nine days now from the president's being diagnosed with coronavirus. Tomorrow would be ten days since that moment. We know that the president, though, there's no question he is eager, he is itching to get back out on the campaign trail. He is down in nearly every poll that you look at right now, whether it is nationally or in some of those key battleground states, and so, president eager to get back on the campaign trail, visiting three key battleground states on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. As of now, though, Erica, we have not gotten that letter from the president's medical team saying he's cleared to resume those activities and of course as you mentioned, still no transparency, no answers, complete stonewalling from the White House on this question of when he last tested negative before he was diagnosed with the virus, raising this prospect that the president not only went to the debate, perhaps, not having tested negative, but also that he was on Air Force One and traveling to visit his supporters before he was diagnosed with coronavirus -- Erica.</s>HILL: Yeah. Important questions that are pretty easy to answer. Jeremy Diamond, thank you. Joining me now, the third highest-ranking Democrat in the House, Congressman James Clyburn. Congressman, good to see you today. We saw the president today --</s>REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): Thank you.</s>HILL: As far as we know, he's still recovering from COVID. We don't know about a negative test. He did invite hundreds to this event at the White House. Yes, he was up on a balcony. We saw them there, though. We know coronavirus is a top issue for Americans, for obvious reasons. What do you think the message is that we got from the president today?</s>CLYBURN: Well, I think it's still all about him. I think the American people have come to realize that this president does not have the capacity to even sympathize, least most to empathize. It would seem that now that he has contracted the virus, he ought to have a certain amount of empathy for what people are going through, not just to focus on the 214,000 deaths but the people who are infected, people who are in nursing homes, people who are in hospitals and other places. It seemed to me that this president ought to be focusing on them, not his campaign, not his supporters, bringing them to the White House and talking about himself. That is just the kind of thing that ought to awaken the American people to what this is all about. We have just lost basic goodness coming from the White House. It is one thing to have political differences, but when you have the kind of a problem that we have in this country today, we ought to be bringing ourselves together. We ought to be expressing a certain amount of empathy for those people who are suffering. This president seems not to have the capacity to do anything but focus on himself. That is a strange illness that all of us should be aware is costing this country dearly.</s>HILL: This virus has disproportionately impacted communities of color, African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans. This event today was specifically for African-Americans and Latinos. But I didn't hear anything from the president addressing the disproportionate impact on these communities. How do you think that could change things if we heard more of that, more of that recognition?</s>CLYBURN: I think that all of us know that what this virus has done has exacerbated problems that existed for a long time. When we went about the business of trying to put the Affordable Care Act together, we were focusing on the fact that there are people who are born with juvenile diabetes, for instance, that needed to be focused on, women with breast cancer and some men as well, and men with prostate cancer, having their insurance taken away from them as soon as they got sick. We were focusing on what we needed to do to make this country's greatness accessible and affordable for everybody. And I don't understand why the president would have an event focusing on minority communities, black and brown, and not mention what it's all about. He should be telling them exactly what he is going to do to get rid of these disparities that exist in our system, in our healthcare system, in our education system, in the affordability of energy. These disparities are there. And COVID-19 has exacerbated these disparities and it would seem to me that the president would be saying to them, this is what my election will mean to the elimination of these disparities. He did not do that simply because he does not have the capacity to empathize with what these communities are experiencing in this particular pandemic.</s>HILL: Congressman, I also want to get your take on a couple of other things we've seen throughout the week. So, on Friday, of course, we heard from Speaker Pelosi, who announced legislation to create a commission that would determine whether the president is fit to do his job under the 25th Amendment. We look at this, the reality is this is not something that is going to pass as we know right now. Is this a more political theory? I mean, what's really behind this, especially 24 days out from the election? What does this achieve?</s>CLYBURN: Well, if my memory serves, Jamie Raskin presented this, what, a year or maybe more ago. And this was just a restatement or re -- bringing attention back to a piece of legislation he's been dealing with for a long time. I don't know of anybody, and I suspect Jamie being the constitutional professor -- constitutional law professor that he is, wants to bring attention to the fact that this pandemic has exposed some real gaps in our process as well. It's not just about health, education, and welfare. It's about the Constitution. The Constitution is silent on so many things that the Founding Fathers did not take into account, and that is what happens in a situation like we have now? People are worried as to if this president decides, as he keeps saying, refused to say that he will not to have a peaceful transition or a transfer if he loses the election, the Constitution doesn't tell us what to do. And so, that's all this thing that Jamie Raskin and Speaker Pelosi was focused on, so the American people can understand that once we get beyond this election, there's some serious things we got to sit down and do because history ought to be instructive here. We have never had anything like this. I don't think we have had this kind of insensitivity in the White House, maybe since Woodrow Wilson. And so, people just have got to focus of what we need to do not to have their problems with this democracy that's being challenging to us at this particular juncture. That is what they were doing, calling out to the American people's attention so that as soon as we get into this next Congress, we have to do some other things outside of dealing with COVID-19 as a health problem. We got to see what we should do to maintain the integrity of this democracy.</s>HILL: As we -- as we look forward as well, listen, plenty of Americans, what they would like to see done right now is some form of stimulus, as you know. There are millions of Americans across this country who are hurting. The president reversing course after shutting down stimulus talks, now saying he wants to go big. We do know that Speaker Pelosi in a letter to you and your fellow House Democrats said the White House's latest proposal amounts to one step forward, two steps back. Sources telling us there are more than 20 Republican senators who are also opposed to what the White House has pitched. In response, Mark Meadows has reported said that he's going to have to bring that back to the president and, quote, you will all have to come to my funeral. Listen, for the American people right now, they're tired of politics. They're tired of the back and forth, do you believe that this president actually wants to negotiate at this point, and are you hopeful that something could happen?</s>CLYBURN: Oh, I'm hopeful that something could happen but I do believe this president is once again playing games with the American people. I don't think he wants to solve this problem. He is trying to create as many pressures on the system as he can possibly create. COVID-19 gives him an excuse to create pressures. He wants confusion. He doesn't want to see people in this country have any kind of order in their lives. He wishes to be law and order. It's all about him. That's -- he's never going to agree to legislation that will help people living on Main Street, on side street or these other places where we need to get our rural hospitals and community health centers to working on behalf of the American people. He's not going to do that.</s>HILL: Congressman --</s>CLYBURN: He wants to see -- yes?</s>HILL: I want to -- I want to pick up on it. You mentioned law and order, and we're tight on time but I really want to get your take on this because we hear that so much, as you pointed out, from the president. He talks about law and order. What we saw unfold in Michigan, what we learned about, this alleged plot in Michigan to kidnap the governor, to overthrow several state governments, to instigate a civil war, according to the complaint there, we have not heard anything from the attorney general condemning this, and he, at one point, of course, wanted to change -- charge rather riot-related defendants with sedition. What does the American public need to hear right now from the attorney general in terms of this plot that was foiled?</s>CLYBURN: Well, there's a good reason you have not heard anything from the attorney general, because he's complicit in all of this. This attorney general -- everything he proposes, it is to bring chaos. I wish people would just take the time and pick up Martin Luther King Jr.'s last book, "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?" I see so much of what this attorney general is doing, what this president is doing, it's to destroy communities and to create chaos. They are complicit in all of this. Why else would the president get the message of what has just happened to the governor of a state and he does not condemn that kind of activity. Instead, talks about her being a bad governor. All of that gives license for this to occur. This attorney general is simply a -- let's just say, he is this president's toy.</s>HILL: Congressman James Clyburn, appreciate you joining us this afternoon. Thank you.</s>CLYBURN: Thanks for having me.</s>HILL: So, today, hundreds gathered on the White House lawn. Next week, the president plans to hold three rallies in three states. So, what's safe? What are the chances the president is still infected? What are the chances the president is contagious? What about the people around him? We'll ask a doctor next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

New Details Emerge About Alleged Plot To Kidnap Michigan Governor; Election Security Outlook With 24 Days To Go

HILL: CNN has learned two suspects and an alleged domestic terror plot to kidnap Michigan's governor to overthrow several state governments are Marine veterans. Marine Corps officials confirming today Joseph Morrison and Daniel Harris were both part of the Marine Corps. And 13 men in total are charged in this alleged plot. CNN's Sara Sidner has more on the details still emerging.</s>BRYANT TITUS, BUSINESS OWNER: I hate to say I love the kid but I'm mad right now. I'm just shocked, man. You help somebody out and then they pull that stuff.</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bryant Titus says one of the suspects in the alleged domestic terrorist plot was his employee. (on camera): The owner of this vacuum Shop says Adam Fox lived here for the last couple of weeks. He says he lived behind this door and down into the basement. (voice-over): Down here with him, his dogs. One with an emotional support collar and a "Don't tread on me" tag attached to it.</s>TITUS: He was in a militia and he got kicked out, so he started his own.</s>SIDNER: One of many things the two discussed, Titus says. He only became concerned when he noticed packages arriving for Fox. (on camera): What was he getting from Amazon?</s>TITUS: Like, MREs, food, stuff like that.</s>SIDNER: So survival stuff pretty much?</s>TITUS: Yes. He was buying more like attachments for like an A.R.-15 and he was buying food. And I'm not stupid. I was in the Marine Corps. So that -- I told him he had to go.</s>SIDNER: But before he left, Fox and 12 others were arrested in FBI raids. We found several suspects ranting against the government online. One suspect calling President Trump an enemy.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is not your friend, dude.</s>SIDNER: While another had praise for the president, tweeting, "Keep up the good work, Chief. We, the people, love your work." The FBI says the alleged plot centered around a plan to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose coronavirus restrictions have been railed against by armed groups at the capitol. According to the complaint, they did surveillance on her vacation home. Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area. One suspect said in an encrypted chat, "The fear will be manifested through bullets." Fox allegedly responds, "Copy that, boys, loud and clear."</s>GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): These are the types of things you hear from groups like ISIS. This is not a militia. It is a domestic terror organization.</s>DANA NESSEL, (D), MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: What we're seeing here in Michigan right now, it's not just a Michigan problem. It's an American problem. And I think there's going to be more incidences to come.</s>SIDNER: A problem forewarned by Frank Mink, a former Neo-Nazi himself convicted in the '90s for a politically motivated kidnapping. I spoke to him days before the alleged Michigan plot was known to the public. (on camera): What's the scenario in this election that would create what you're calling the potential of a race war?</s>FRANK MINK, FORMER NEO-NAZI: I'm telling you this is going to happen. States like Michigan, states like Wisconsin, the northern states that have some wilderness area, there have been militias from other states training up there. They are waiting and hoping that something does go wrong because they want to hold up in them hills. And they want to say, we don't want the federal government up here no more.</s>SIDNER (voice-over): He says President Donald Trump's rhetoric has emboldened extremists. Whitmer agrees.</s>WHITMER: Of course, we know every time that this White House identifies me or takes a shot at me, we see an increase in rhetoric online, violent rhetoric. And so there's always a connection. And certainly, it's something that we've been watching. But this took it to a whole new level.</s>SIDNER (on camera): Governor Whitmer had requested that the president stop using rhetoric against her in particular. The president has responded, saying that he does not condone any type of extremist violence. But then attacked the governor again, saying that she has done a terrible job during this coronavirus crisis. Sara Sidner, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.</s>HILL: I want to bring in now CNN National Security Analyst, former senior advisor to the national security advisor in the Obama administration, Samantha Vinograd. Sam, good to see you. We just saw in Sara's reporting and the Michigan attorney general has said there's a problem across America. So, just give us a sense. How big of a national security threat today is domestic terrorism?</s>SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Erica, the intelligence outlook is frankly worrisome. Domestic violent extremism, or DVE ,was already surging pre-pandemic. 2019 was the most lethal year for DVE since the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. This year, in 2020, we have additional risk factors. FBI director Christopher Wray said in sworn testimony last week that perceptions of government and law enforcement overreach are key drivers of DVE. DHS similarly said that violence related to government efforts to mitigate COVID-19 has exacerbated the typical election season environment. This is clearly an all-hands-on-deck moment. But President Trump isn't on law enforcement's side. President Trump has praised violent groups like QAnon, the Proud Boys and white supremacists who ostensibly ally with him. Currently, he has made public comments that have been taken as a call to action. That could lead to more violence. The bottom line is, we do have a domestic extremism problem in this country, and President Trump is making it worse, not better.</s>HILL: So, are you saying that he's putting politics over national security, Sam?</s>VINOGRAD: I think that President Trump has consistently put politics over national security. And he's not alone. When we look at, for example, the behavior of his attorney general, Bill Barr, when it comes to this most recent plot against Governor Whitmer, it is clear that there's a political filter applied to threats affecting Americans. Bill Barr has personally been silent about the plot targeting governor Whitmer. Yet, when there are threats that jibe with President Trump's political talking points, like the threat from Antifa, for example, he is the loudest voice in the room. And it's not just about domestic terrorism. Bill Barr and President Trump have overplayed and misrepresented the threat from China and the threat of voter fraud related to the election cycle because yet again, that jives with their political talking points. And bringing this back to domestic terrorism, Erica, this posture could have really dangerous consequences. Supporters of the president may think that Bill Barr's silence, his double standards on domestic terrorist threats, could mean that the Department of Justice and the attorney general won't bring their full weight to bear just as long as violent extremists ally with President Trump. This could literally have lethal consequences.</s>HILL: Well, we will all be watching that. It will be interesting to see if we do hear publicly from the attorney general at all in the coming days. You mentioned election security. We are now, of course, 24 days out from the election. How do things look to you in terms of election security?</s>VINOGRAD: Well, right now, U.S. officials are working overtime to protect us from the president. Just last week, the leaders of key agencies working on election security issued a public service announcement indicating that foreign attacks, specifically influence operations, are ongoing. Also last week, the top U.S. counterintelligence official explicitly stated that foreign adversaries are exploiting and amplifying Trump's lies to attack Americans. I mean, think about that. President Trump is a key contributor to information warfare attacks against the American people. And President Trump is also stirring the pot when it comes to physical threats to Americans during the election season. He has failed to say he would tell his supporters not to engage in civil unrest. And the Trump campaign is deploying a 50,000-person army of poll watchers, which could lead to illegal voter intimidation. So at this point, I think election security officials are trying to manage external threats while also trying to figure out how to contain the threat coming from the commander-in-chief.</s>HILL: Samantha Vinograd, good to see you. Appreciate it. Thank you.</s>VINOGRAD: Thank you.</s>HILL: Up next, signs that a key swing state may be turning on the president. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Arizona GOP Senator Distances Herself From Trump As Senate Race Heats Up.

HILL: A key swing state may be turning on the president. CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.</s>SEN. MARTHA MCSALLY (R-AZ): I'm Martha McSally.</s>MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the combat fighter pilot --</s>MARK KELLY, (D), ARIZONA SENATE CANDIDATE & FORMER ASTRONAUT: I'm Mark Kelly.</s>MARQUEZ: -- versus the astronaut. Early voting now under way across the Grand Canyon state. (on camera): Why is the Senate so important?</s>QUIANA DIGGS, KELLY SUPPORTER: Well, first of all, I believe that with this thing it has done with accepting the things that Donald Trump has done to the country and looking the other way is unacceptable.</s>MARQUEZ: What draws you to Senator McSally?</s>BRADLEY FIEGEL-JOHNSON, MCSALLY SUPPORTER: Just, I mean, honestly, it's just who I've been following for a long time. And, yes, she does support Trump and that's something I'm big into because I do support Trump as well.</s>MARQUEZ (voice-over): The contest to fill the last two years of the later Senator John McCain's term, his legacy in long-running feud with the president, a presence in the race.</s>KELLY: To hear Senator McSally not stick up for Senator John McCain when the president of the United States is attacking him.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you not stick up for Senator McCain?</s>MCSALLY: Quite frankly, it pisses me off when he does it.</s>KELLY (voice-over): I launched on July 14 of 2006. Gabby thought I was going to propose from space.</s>MARQUEZ: Kelly, husband to former congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who was seriously wounded during a mass shooting in 2011, Kelly has focused on a centrist message.</s>KELLY: I will work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, to make health care work for all of Arizona.</s>MARQUEZ: Attacking McSally for her support of the president and for voting to eliminate protections for preexisting conditions.</s>AD NARRATOR: McSally voted to gut or eliminate protections for preexisting conditions.</s>MARQUEZ: McSally has attacked Kelly as a tool of progressive left, overly friendly toward China, and hiding his true agenda.</s>AD NARRATOR: He's too liberal for Arizona.</s>MARQUEZ: For McSally, a former U.S. representative from southern Arizona, it's her second run for Senate in two years. She was narrowly beat by Democrat Krysten Sinema in 2018 when Republican Jeff Flake retired after clashing with President Trump.</s>SEN. KYRSTEN SINEMA, (D-AZ): Her false attacks against me were desperate and over the top. Now she's doing the same to Mark Kelly.</s>MARQUEZ: Sinema even taking the usual step of going on the attack against her Senate colleague. Polls have shown Kelly with a consistent lead over McSally. (on camera): Arizona may have two Democratic Senators. Shock?</s>CHUCK COUGHLIN, PRESIDENT & CEO, HIGHGROUND, INC.: Not a shock in the sense that you've seen the direction of the Republican Party.</s>MARQUEZ: Arizona Republican political strategist, Chuck Coughlin, says the GOP here has two problems, an ideological base beholden to Trump and a rapidly evolving electorate.</s>COUGHLIN: If we have two Democratic Senators for the first time since 1952, as Senator McCain would say, it's always darkest before it turns black.</s>COUGHLIN: It's going to turn black for Republicans here.</s>MARQUEZ: Now, keep in mind all of this is to finish off the last two years of John McCain's term. That means whoever wins has to do it all over again in 2022. And because it's a special election, if Mark Kelly wins, he could play a role in the nomination process for Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. That assumes she's not confirmed by Election Day. Back to you.</s>HILL: Miguel, thank you. Her strength after tragedy inspired America. Tomorrow night, the CNN original series "FIRST LADIES" profiles Jackie Kennedy.</s>ANNOUNCER: The president's car is now turning on to Elm Street and it will be only a matter of minutes before he arrives. I was on Stemmons Freeway earlier and even the freeway was jampacked with spectators waiting to --</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're in the car and Jackie thinks that she hears some backfires.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And she turns to look at her husband, and she sees, literally, his brains being blown out.</s>ANNOUNCER: It appears as though something has happened in the motorcade route. Something, I repeat, has happened in the motorcade route.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The sounds and the screaming and the motors racing. For him then literally to fall into her lap so that she is staring into the wound and knowing that he's gone.</s>ANNOUNCER: There's numerous people running up the Hill alongside Elm Street.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's in a war zone, and she starts to climb out of the car.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent, pushes her into safety, pushes her back down. But now she's back into the horror of this chamber in which her husband has been murdered.</s>HILL: You can catch this brand-new episode of "FIRST LADIES" tomorrow night, 10:00, right here on CNN.

Trump Gives Divisive Speech From White House In First Public Appearance Since His Coronavirus Diagnosis; New IHME Model Projects Over 180,000 Additional Americans Will Die Of COVID By February 1st.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for joining us. I'm Erica Hill in New York in for Ana Cabrera. In his first major public appearance since his COVID diagnosis and just 24 days out from the election, President Trump down in the polls, sidelined from the campaign trail for more than a week, invited hundreds of people to come to him for what was clearly a political rally disguised as a White House event. The president taking to the balcony, as you see there, just two weeks to the day after that Rose Garden super-spreader event.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First of all, I'm feeling great. I don't know about you. How is everyone feeling? I want you to know our nation's going to defeat this terrible china virus, as we call it. It's going to disappear. it is disappearing, and we're -- vaccines are going to help and the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>HILL: Let's be clear here. The president is lying when he says the virus is disappearing. It is not disappearing. It's spreading. Here are the facts. Not only is it spreading through the White House, but for the last three days, the United States has reported more than 50,000 new cases each day. The last time we saw numbers like that was in mid-August. And a key model is now projecting some 395,000 deaths in this country by February 1st. Now, despite all of that, the president seems laser focused on his campaign. We have learned the president will hold three rallies next week, all while the White House refuses to answer basic questions about the president's health, questions that matter to the American people. Is he still contagious? Well, we don't know. Has he tested negative? We don't know. When did he contract the virus? Don't have that answer either. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is standing by at the White House. So, Jeremy, today's event was supposedly aimed at African-Americans and Latinos. Tell us more about the president's message today.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you said, Erica, there's no question that this was a political rally disguised as an official White House event. The White House saying that this was an official event not related to the president's re-election campaign, but, of course, what you saw there was hundreds of people, many of them wearing make America Great Again Hats and the president opening up with decidedly political rhetoric, the president talking about voting Democrats out of office. And, of course, he tailored much of his message on one of the central themes of his re-election campaign, which is this notion of law and order. This time though, the president directing that message at minority communities, black and Hispanic Americans. Listen to what the president was saying.</s>TRUMP: Every day, more black and Latino Americans are leaving behind left-wing politicians and their failed ideology. They failed many years, many, many decades. The fact is that I've done more for the black community than any president since Abraham Lincoln.</s>DIAMOND: And you hear the president there saying, nobody can dispute that. Of course, many people do dispute and can dispute it. Just think about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to name just a couple there. What is notable here is, of course, many of those people who you saw in the crowd there were indeed black Americans. That's because they were there as part of an organized group, BLEXIT, which is a conservative group run by the conservative activist, Candace Owens, which encourages black Americans who overwhelmingly vote Democratic to switch over and vote for the Republican Party. So that's why you saw that there. Of course, the president uses this message to his mostly white rally crowds all the time and that's because in large part this message isn't just aimed at black Americans across the country, it's instead aimed at creating this permission structure for white Americans to believe that President Trump is not racist and therefore be able to support him.</s>HILL: Jeremy Diamond live at the White House, Jeremy, thank you. Joining me now, CNN's Senior Political Analyst and Senior Editor of The Atlantic, Ron Brownstein, CNN Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley and CNN Medical Analyst and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Rochelle Walensky. Dr. Walensky, we did see masks in that crowd. We did not see much social distancing. The president was there on the balcony. Yes, he was not in the crowd. But as you're watching all of this, especially when we don't know whether he's the contagious, we don't know the status of a lot of White House staffers, what's your reaction to the event earlier today?</s>DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Good afternoon, Erica. You know, my colleagues, public health officials, the CDC has been working tirelessly to create guidelines so that people can follow the science, be safe in their isolation guidelines, in their masking, in their quarantine guidelines and in their contact tracing. The Washington, D.C., Department of Public Health has specifically said, no gatherings over the size of 50. When you gather at 50, you should be seated. The seats should be six feet apart. There should be no mingling. So this has been a flagrant, irresponsible disregard for all of those guidelines. The other thing I just want to point out is that if he was talking to the black and Hispanic communities, this is what I think he should say. They have two-and-a-half full times the number of cases. They have five times the number of hospitalizations and he should be doing something to protect them and keep them safe, which we did not see today.</s>HILL: We did not hear any of that addressed. You're right, Dr. Walensky. Meantime, Ron, as Dr. Walensky points out, in terms of mass gatherings, clearly that was over 50 people. It is not what public health experts would advise. We should also point out the president's close ally, Chris Christie, only just got out of the hospital. We know there are staffers in quarantine. There was a super-spreader event two weeks ago at the White House. The White House is filled with infection. The president is not talking about any of that. We don't hear him publicly talking about his staffers, Chris Christie, how they're doing, wishing them well. Instead, he's up there on the Truman balcony, and this as we know that voters say coronavirus is their top issue. How is this helping him?</s>RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, it is not only damaging to public health, to be flouting the guidelines and the restrictions -- and the requirements so overtly as he's done, not only here but in rallies all over the country, in Nevada and Pennsylvania, going in, explicitly defying what governors have set. It's not only damaging to public health. It's just political malpractice as well. I mean, no matter what he says at any of these events, the dominant message he is sending to Americans is that no matter how many people die, no matter how long he is in power, he will not take this seriously. It simply overshadows anything coming out of his mouth. And I was struck, Erica, that all this was happening today as Joe Biden unveiled this pretty remarkable ad, one-minute ad of Cindy McCain, you were talking about Arizona just now, endorsing him unequivocally, an ad that's going to run tomorrow on Fox News Sunday, on 60 Minutes, on football games, she's doing local market interviews, and it just symbolizes how much of what had been the center-right Republican coalition, particularly college-educated suburban voters, that this president is alienating precisely with this kind of behavior in which he is so contemptuous of science and also of law while running as the law and order president.</s>HILL: Doug, as we look at this both balcony moment and what we saw on Monday when the president returned from Walter Reed, how do you think history will look back on these two balcony moments?</s>DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: It's going to be remembered as Donald Trump wanting to be some kind of authoritarian dictator, trying to be the Putin of America. But it's -- I've never, in, I think, U.S. history, seen a sitting president struggle to find momentum in the final weeks of a campaign. Really, I mean, Jimmy Carter in 1980 had a hard time, and it led to the Reagan revolution of just finding footage. I mean, standing there today with people in turquoise T-shirts, we know 90 percent of the African-American community is totally opposed to Donald Trump, him trying to pander there, it's not a rally, it's not really an official event, it's just Donald Trump on a balcony, this is a president who can't find his footing and is slipping rapidly. Maybe the traveling in these rallies will help him. But he now is, I think, people don't want to be near the president or a photo-op with him. He's the COVID president. And he's just having a hard time getting any traction.</s>HILL: Look, we don't know if he is still infectious because we can't get an answer and that non-answer, I think, tells us a lot, Dr. Walensky. The president in speaking with Fox News last night talked about where he thinks he's at. He says he's not on any more medications. Here is what else he revealed. Take a listen.</s>TRUMP: I didn't feel very strong. I didn't feel very vital. I didn't feel like the president of the U.S. should feel. And I knew there was something a little bit off.</s>MARK LEVIN, FOX NEWS HOST: Did you want to leave earlier, the hospital, earlier than they said, Mr. President?</s>TRUMP: I did. They wanted to keep me for observation. They wanted to be sure I was good. But I did. I was there for, I guess, three and a half days. They wanted to keep me -- I wanted to leave after the first day. I really felt I was in not bad shape after the first day. Right now, I'm medication-free. I'm not taking any medications as of, you know, probably eight hours ago, so I'm medication-free, which frankly makes me feel good. I don't like medication.</s>HILL: It's very clear the president's goal there is he wants to project strength. He wants to portray this image of being stronger than the virus. What do you, though, actually take away from what he revealed, Dr. Walensky?</s>WALENSKY: Yes, so very much of this is image so it's very, very hard to unpack the truth here. I would really like to know when his last negative test was before he developed disease. I believe he's probably off medications. The Regeneron is simply a one-dose medication. The remdesivir is five days. So I believe he's off of that. I understand he's also off dexamethasone. I certainly hope that he gets his strength back. In terms of his infectiousness, we and the CDC guidelines do not suggest that actually you document a negative test after you have COVID, and part of that is because your tests can be positive for up to three months, 12 weeks, after your initial positive. So we don't use that as a marker for continued infectiousness and we use more likely time or more importantly time. And so a ten-day period after your initial symptoms or your initial positive test, again, we don't know exactly when that started, and for people who have severe disease, up to 20 days.</s>HILL: You know, as we're looking at all of this play out, there's the reality of what's happening for the American people and, frankly, I should say, what's not happening in terms of a stimulus. A Republican senator, we're learning, had shot down the White House's latest stimulus offer, $1.8 trillion. The president reversed course, we know, said he wants to go big. When he got the news on a conference call today, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said, quote, you will all have to come to my funeral, implying that when he brought the news to the president, he wouldn't be happy. Take the Democrats out of this equation. When we look at this, Ron, for a lot of Republicans, this would be in their interest in terms of the American people, 24 days out from an election, to come together and try to agree on something, would it not?</s>BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Again, political malpractice from the point of view of the Republicans trying to hold seats and maintain their majority. I mean, you know, you're talking about Republican incumbents who are in serious, serious trouble in Colorado, Arizona, in North Carolina, Maine, and facing tough races in Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina and Iowa and maybe Alaska. They want a deal. They need a deal. They are looking at headlines of accelerating layoffs in the airline industry and the hospitality industry, but it is -- you know, many people have interpreted this decision by the majority of the Republican caucus as basically saying, we don't think Donald Trump is going to win. We're not even sure we're going to hold our majority and we don't want to do anything that will help the economy recover under Joe Biden. There's a little bit of kind of defeatism in this where they are essentially cutting loose their own colleagues who face these tough races and sentencing them in the last few weeks to decline -- headlines about the economy slowing and layoffs, even as you pointed out, infections are going up, and they're going to spend the time in Washington debating a Supreme Court nominee who has indicated that she is skeptical of continuing the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. I mean, the environment for the last few weeks, as Doug said, doesn't provide a lot of footholds for Republicans to try to pivot gain moment other than ginning up their base and attacking Biden and the Democrats as socialists.</s>HILL: The latest cover of Time Magazine, I want to put it up on the screen, if we can, it shows the coronavirus shooting out of the chimneys of the White House like a toxic cloud. Molly Ball wrote the cover piece, and in it, she made this observation. She writes, when the president sneezes, America gets a cold. When the president gets COVID-19, America, too, must contemplate its frailty. His pathologies are our pathologies. Trump, like COVID, has scrambled our sense of national identity with effects that will linger beyond November 3rd. What have these past four years done to us and what will it take to recover? Will we be humbled by weakness or plunge forward in a state of dangerous denial? Doug, I'm curious. What do you think the answer to that question is?</s>BRINKLEY: It's all going to depend whether Donald Trump gets re- elected. He has so mishandled the COVID-19 crisis from day one. He was -- had his head in the sand. We all know all of the missed opportunities, the dead Americans, you know, well over 200,000 Americans, many because of Donald Trump's failed leadership. So if he gets re-elected, I think that tells us a lot. But if Donald Trump loses, I think we might have an effort to do a bipartisan kind of medical core, pandemic core. How do we protect ourselves in the future by, you know, stock -- medical stockpiles, having hospitals prepared. We might even be able to do like the old civilian conservation of FDR, a medical corps (ph) young people for two years, getting prepared for this in the future. So time will tell. But make no mistake about it, Trump lost 2020 with</s>COVID. HILL: All right. I appreciate you all joining us. Douglas Brinkley, Ron Brownstein, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, thank you all very much. I want to take all our viewers now, I want to take you straight to Joe Biden. He is campaigning there live in Erie, Pennsylvania.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, I asked, what you call a K- shaped recovery. Those folks on the top of the K are doing very, very well. Recession at the top, those folks, everything is going up for them. But everybody in the middle and below is going down, seeing things get worse. It means essential workers who sacrificed to keep us going through this pandemic are being left behind by the most unequal recovery in American history. And it means while the top -- this is a fact, which is startling to me, when I found it out. The top 100 billionaires in the middle of this pandemic, they made $300 billion additional. You hear me now? 100 individuals made $300 billion this year. And what did the bottom half get? They got the K, they got the slide down. Because the fact is the president can only see the world from Park Avenue. I see it from Scranton. I see it from Claymont, for real. You all know what I'm talking about. You all see it from Erie. That's why my program to build back better is focused on working people. Think about it. Think about all the people you know who got up this morning and had the following conversation. You know, honey, I know we need four new tires, they're bald, we can't do it now. We got to wait. We got to wait. Well you know what? I know we just lost our insurance, but we're going to be okay. We're going to hang in there. Or, you know, having to make a choice, literally, a choice, between getting the prescription or putting food on the table. If I said that to you ten years ago, you'd look at me like I was writing a fiction story. But that's the truth. They're the decisions people are making today, right now. Independent analysis put out by a highly respected Wall Street firm of all things, Moody's, from a Wall Street firm, projects that my build back better plan is going to create 18.6 million jobs in four years. That's hard -- that's not a liberal think tank. That's Moody's. And it's going to create 7 million more jobs than the president's economic plan.</s>HILL: You're listening to former vice president there, Joe Biden, campaigning in Erie, Pennsylvania. As you hear, he is making that pitch to working class voters as we look at 24 days now left until Election Day. Meantime, looking at the events of 2020, they have been startling, to put it mildly. But we actually could be in the most dangerous month of this year right now. The president diagnosed with COVID-19, the election now just weeks away. That's on the tip of the iceberg though. We'll explain, coming up. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Pushes Giving Congress A Role In Removing Presidents; Trump Sows Doubt About Election Integrity As Polls Show Him Trailing

HILL: Twenty-four days until the election, already more than six million ballots have been cast. Yet, the president is continuing to sow doubt about the integrity of the election. This, as polls show him trailing Joe Biden in key battleground states. Here's more now from CNN's Pamela Brown.</s>PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump is continuing to undermine the integrity of the election.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): They're sending out millions and millions of ballots. Are they sending them to all Democrats? This is going to be the second-biggest political scandal in history.</s>BROWN: Trump is spreading disinformation. Vote-by-mail states send ballots to all active voters and there are no signs of a looming scandal. And he went on.</s>TRUMP (voice-over): You're never going to know who won the election, you know? It's going to be two weeks later.</s>BROWN: But election night, results are always unofficial. The very real chance there won't be a winner on election night is something even Trump's security team warned is not a problem.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On November 3rd, we might not know the outcome of our election and that's OK. But we're going to need your patience until official results are announced.</s>BROWN: The plot to kidnap Michigan's Democratic governor, along with Trump's disinformation and fiery rhetoric, is raising fears of voter intimidation on Election Day as tensions rise.</s>DANA NESSEL (D), MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's not just a Michigan problem. It's an American problem. And I think there's going to be more incidences to come.</s>BROWN: Michigan's attorney general is working on guidance for law enforcement on how to handle guns at polling places. And 11 states and D.C., there's a ban on firearms at the polls. But many swing states, including Michigan, don't have strict rules against it.</s>TRUMP: Bad things happen in Philadelphia.</s>BROWN: In Philadelphia, a judge rejected the Trump campaign's lawsuit over its attempt last month to use supporters as unofficial poll watchers ahead of Election Day, something Philadelphia officials wouldn't allow because it's against the law. The president fumed about it at the debate.</s>TRUMP: They're very safe, a very nice thing. They were thrown out. They weren't allowed to watch.</s>BROWN: All campaigns are allowed to have registered poll watchers at official sites on Election Day. But the judge upheld that it is illegal at satellite election locations being used for pre-Election Day voting. And now, both parties are gearing up for the possibility of a contested election with no clear winner on November 3rd or weeks beyond. "The Washington Post" reports Speaker Nancy Pelosi has discussed the issue in meetings. One scenario involves invoking the Electoral Count Act, an obscure, untested, 19th century law, which gives Congress the power to settle state-level disputes. Last week, Pelosi acknowledged any congressional involvement would be messy.</s>REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): If all that chaos takes us to a time that could be past the date when the Electoral Colleges must meet, we will be ready.</s>BROWN (on camera): Well, to clamp down on disinformation around the election, Twitter is now announcing several changes it's making. Including blocking any Twitter user, including the candidates themselves, from declaring victory before state officials have announced so, or before two national news outlets have made their public projections. Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.</s>HILL: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is out of the hospital. Across the country, though, the number of new COVID cases is surging. And there are concerns about the nation's hospitals. Why things could get even worse. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Chris Christie Leaves Hospital A Week After Testing Positive

HILL: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announcing today he's out of the hospital. He was there for a week after testing positive for coronavirus. Christie helped to prepare President Trump for the first debate and also attended the Supreme Court nomination ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett, which is now believed to be a super spreader event. This comes as most of the country is really struggling to get on track. Take a look at the map here. You see the states in orange and red. They're the ones heading up, 28 states. Only those two states in green are trending in the right direction, reporting a decrease in new cases over the past seven days. Today, a grim new projection from a key model, an often-cited model, now projects more than 180,000 additional American lives will be lost to this virus by February 1st. CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro joins us now. Evan, first, what more do we know about Chris Christie's condition at this point?</s>EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, we don't know much about the details of former governor's health right now, much as in the case of the president. But what we know is, around 9:00 this morning, he tweeted that he had left the Morristown Medical Center, had been released, a hospital in New Jersey that he checked himself in about a week ago after that positive coronavirus test. He didn't say whether he's still positive. He didn't say what measures he's taking to deal with the virus now. He did say in his tweet that he will tell us more about it all next week. So I guess we have to wait for that. But while that super spreader event that you mentioned at the White House has a lot of Republicans in politics nervous, those new numbers from the IHME model that you referred to should have all of us concerned. I have a few graphics here just to walk you through the state of the pandemic now according to this model. The IHME model now predicts that 395,000 deaths from coronavirus in the United States, nearly 395,000 deaths, by February 1st. That's just a shocking number that, if it's true, would suggest a very, very grim winter ahead of us. And if you dig into that number, you see how important continued vigilance about the virus is. They report that if more states ease their restrictions on the virus, that we're seeing now in some states, like Florida, for example, if more states do that, the death toll could be around half a million people by February 1st. Conversely, if 95 percent of people obey mask rules, the IHME model shows that death toll would come way, way down. Now, unfortunately, that number comes as there's still a very, very ongoing, continuing, roiling debate about masks and social distancing. I mentioned Florida, where the governor is reopening schools and despite concerns from the teachers' unions. And here in New York City, where we're seeing closures of some businesses and schools in neighborhoods where officials are saying people just aren't wearing masks and aren't doing social distancing. Now, Erica, you were in New York City in April. I was in New York City in April. The idea that with numbers like we're seeing from this IHME model, people are not following those social distancing guidelines, it's just kind of unfathomable -- Erica?</s>HILL: Yes, it has a lot of people scratching their heads, I can definitely say, from talking to folks here in New York, saying, after all the progress we've made, we cannot go back. Evan McMorris-Santoro, appreciate it. Thank you. Outrage is growing on the campus at the University of Notre Dame where students and faculty are furious that the school's president, Father John Jenkins, tested positive for coronavirus after attending that White House event for Amy Coney Barrett. He was there without a mask, shaking hands, as you can see, in a crowd of more than 200 people. Well, now, there are calls for him to resign as CNN's Omar Jimenez reports.</s>OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For college campuses in 2020, coronavirus protocol is a delicate balance.</s>JIMENEZ: And the university of Notre Dame is no different, requiring masks, avoiding crowds, social distancing, which is why these images of their president cut so deeply. Father John Jenkins at a White House Rose Garden event for Supreme Court Justice nominee and Notre Dame alum, Amy Coney Barrett, without a mask, shaking hands, and ignoring distancing protocols.</s>ASHTON WEBER, JUNIOR, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME: A few days before that happened we had gotten an email from him detailing the protocol that we're supposed to follow and he said this is what everyone needs to do to make sure that we're still here on campus together. So to see him breaking his own rules was really -- it made us feel like we were disrespected as a student body.</s>JIMENEZ: Jenkins released a statement shortly after, reading, in part, "I failed to lead by example at a time when I've asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so." But the damage was done. Weber helped organize a petition pushing for Father Jenkins to resign. The student newspaper published an editorial headlined, "Frankly, this is embarrassing". Then Father Jenkins became one of the many who attended that Rose Garden event to test positive for COVID-19.</s>MAKIRA WALTON, JUNIOR, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME: I felt vindicated. I was like, I was correct. You did the wrong thing and the consequences of your actions we have predicted came true. And that's horrible. I never want to feel vindicated about somebody that is sick with a potentially deadly disease.</s>JIMENEZ: In the wake of his diagnosis, the faculty senate debated going forward with a vote of no confidence in their president. They narrowly decided to postpone further action. The president's office declined to comment. In general, the stakes for maintaining COVID protocol at colleges and universities are as high as nearly any aspect of life. When Notre Dame students began returning to campus, they had to quickly move to all virtual classes after the school said that more than a hundred students tested positive in a little more than two weeks.</s>WEBER: It was really scary. A lot of people started to realize the severity of, you know, having a spike in 147 cases after being just two weeks back on campus.</s>JIMENEZ: Other schools saw similar outbreaks, with the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and North Carolina, Chapel Hill, both among those also having to move to online learning at points to save their semester as they have each now seen coronavirus cases top a thousand total. And at Notre Dame, their president's diagnosis is just the latest reminder of that high-stakes bounce.</s>WALTON: I think a lot more people are taking this seriously because people got sick. You know, I think if there hadn't been as big of an outbreak, if he hadn't gotten sick, people do</s>JIMENEZ (on camera): Now, campus-wide, the university has been able to get their coronavirus positivity rate to under 1 percent. As for Father Jenkins, university officials say that he's been experiencing mild symptoms and has continued to work remotely throughout his recovery. Omar Jimenez, CNN, South Bend, Indiana.</s>HILL: Be sure to join Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and five former CDC directors tonight for a new CNN global town hall. You can join us for "CORONAVIRUS, FACTS AND FEARS," at 9:00 right here on CNN. We'll be right back.

CNN Special Report: Bush Versus Gore. Aired 11:30p-12:30a ET

ANNOUNCER: The following is a CNN Special Report.</s>GLORIA BORGER, CNN HOST: An election in limbo?</s>SEN. JAMES BAKER, BUSH RECOUNT CHIEF STRATEGIST: Nobody really knew what was going to happen.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just count the votes!</s>BORGER: And a nation divided.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were going to hold Florida unless they sent in federal troops.</s>BORGER: Happening not in 2020.</s>ANNOUNCER: This is CNN's coverage of Election 2000.</s>BORGER: But 20 years ago, BUSH VERSUS GORE. The closest race in modern American political history.</s>BILL DALEY, GORE CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: I was just seeing my life kind of flashing around me.</s>BORGER: An election night like no other.</s>DAN RATHER, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: I was operating in an environment of volcanic chaos. Bulletin. Florida pulled back into the undecided column.</s>BORGER: Launching a war for the White House. (</s>On camera): The campaign chairman comes in and says to you --</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You better get people scrambling for a recount. And that was the holy shit moment.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Thirty-six days of political combat at the highest levels.</s>SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, GORE VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE: In the end the Supreme Court had the last word.</s>DAVID HUME KENNERLY, ELECTION NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER: If you were a screenwriter, they'd fire you for this story.</s>BORGER (on camera): So could it happen again?</s>RON KLAIN, GORE CAMPAIGN GENERAL COUNSEL: There's no question it could happen again.</s>UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: We want Gore. We want Gore. We want Gore.</s>BORGER (voice-over): It's after 3:00 in the morning on November 8th, 2000. The War Memorial in Nashville, Tennessee. Vice President Al Gore is inside getting ready to publicly concede the presidential election to George W. Bush.</s>DALEY: It was total chaos as we were trying to get into the War Memorial, pouring rain. The vice president and Lieberman's family, and that whole group had gone in. The Secret Service, the police, everybody was it.</s>MICHAEL WHOULEY, GORE NATIONAL FIELD DIRECTOR: And I got on the phone with Bill Daley, and he said, what's up, Mike. And I said, Billy, we haven't lost. This thing is going to be an automatic recanvass. I said this thing is too close to call.</s>DALEY: I was just seeing my life kind of flashing around me. I kind of break out into sweat, thinking, oh, my god, what do we do here?</s>WHOULEY: And that's when he contacted David Morehouse.</s>DAVID MOREHOUSE, GORE SENIOR COUNSELOR AND TRIP DIRECTOR: Everything was ringing at once and vibrating.</s>DALEY: I told him grab the vice president, get him into a holding room with Joe Lieberman. Do not let anyone go out. Just everybody, freeze.</s>MOREHOUSE: Michael Feldman was trying to get ahold of me. And Feldman said, yes, you need to stop the vice president from conceding.</s>MICHAEL FELDMAN, GORE TRAVELING CHIEF OF STAFF: He cannot go out on stage. You've got to bring him to hold.</s>MOREHOUSE: The vice president is walking really fast. Takes me a little bit to catch up with him. And I caught up with him. We're walking on the long hallway. At the end of the hallway, some stairs that lead to the outside where the stage is. I just in front of the stairs and said, Mr. Vice President, we have to go to hold. And he said, "This better be good."</s>BORGER: Before election day ever started, the 2000 vote was too close to call.</s>LIEBERMAN: Our polling was showing that it was a dead heat, that it was basically within the margin of error.</s>BORGER: For news anchors, election night is the Super Bowl.</s>TOM BROKAW, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: We're electing the most powerful person in the world.</s>BORGER: And this election looked like one for the record books.</s>RATHER: Any journalist worth of the name, what you wanted was a great story and this was a great story.</s>BERNARD SHAW, CNN ANCHOR: Election night for any presidential contest is not routine. No, it's not because it's too important, too historic. But as the evening wore on, it was clear this one is different. This one is different.</s>ANNOUNCER: This is a CNN Election 2000 Special Presentation.</s>JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: If you've ever longed for those nights when -- that you've heard about when people waited late to find out who their leader was, pull up a chair, this may be it.</s>SHAW: We started routinely with the polls closing and we watched the clock. This is how our electoral map looks at 7:34 Eastern Time. Governor Bush far ahead of Vice President Gore.</s>BORGER: Predictable results in the states first to close their polls. Then earth-shattering news.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And all together according to senator --</s>RATHER: Mike, excuse me one second. I'm so sorry to interrupt you. Mike, you know I wouldn't do this if it weren't big. Florida goes for Al Gore. Now folks, the equation changes. Then it happens like that. It's in a year. Florida for Gore. Boom. Ladies and gentlemen, let's pause right here because this could be decisive -- could be decisive in the election.</s>BORGER: Twenty-five decisive electoral votes, votes that could deliver the presidency for Al Gore. At the governor's mansion in Austin, there was pure anguish.</s>KAREN HUGHES, BUSH CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: There was this pause, it was very quiet. And when I asked President Bush 41 how he was doing, he said not so good right now.</s>BORGER (on camera): What were you guys thinking about the network projections at that point?</s>HUGHES: I think the feeling from the beginning from our people who were crunching the numbers was that the networks were wrong.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Karen Hughes wasn't the only one unconvinced.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't believe some of these states, that they've called like Florida, I just don't believe they have enough evidence to be able to call the state.</s>HUGHES: That state's going to flip, I really feel that way.</s>RATHER: I do remember saying to myself, wow, I hope they're right with this. Basically it was, listen, don't question the decision of the decision desk, Florida belongs to Gore.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I think, Bill, and you're the maven on this one, that generally networks do not call unless they have a pretty high degree of assurance, correct?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is correct. We have a pretty high degree of assurance that Florida and Pennsylvania have gone for Al Gore.</s>BORGER: Then two minutes later, all hell breaks loose.</s>SHAW: Stand by. Stand by. CNN right now is moving our earlier declaration of Florida back to the too-close-to-call column. Beads of sweat start popping out of my forehead. Twenty-five very big electoral votes in the home state of the governor's brother, Jeb Bush, are hanging in the balance. This no longer is a victory for Vice President Gore. We're moving it back into a too-close-to-call --</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, waiter, one order of crow, please.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crow, yes.</s>SHAW: I could actually feel sweat as I realized that this was wrong, we had to correct it.</s>BORGER: And so did every other network within minutes.</s>BROKAW: NBC News is now taking Florida out of Vice President Gore's column and putting it back in the too-close-to-call column.</s>RATHER: Bulletin, Florida pulled back into the undecided column. Computer and data problem.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We pulled it back until we can examine the data and see where we are.</s>RATHER: This knockdown, drag-out battle drags on into the night and turn the lights down, the party just got wilder.</s>BROKAW: We don't just have egg in our face, we've got omelet all over our suits. The numbers started to go back and forth, you know, couldn't trust any of them. And I finally ran out of ways to explain to the audience what was going on.</s>RATHER: The chaos factor just went through the roof. There's always chaos. Now we've reached the abnormal. Now we've reached a land where we've never been.</s>SHAW: Basically the projections are made by exit polling data and also actual vote counts from model precincts.</s>BORGER: But those numbers were off and they were shared by all the networks.</s>SHAW: This model had worked in the past. It clearly not only did not work that night but it sputtered and sputtered and sputtered.</s>BORGER: The models didn't work because Florida was a mess. Confusing ballots left voters unsure about whom they had actually voted for. Local election officials misreported vote counts and exit poll samples were just not accurate. (</s>On camera): In your ear are they trying to be calm even though they're freaking out?</s>RATHER: Yes, they're trying to be calm but that's a failure.</s>BROKAW: I was trying to be as transparent as possible. This system is breaking down around me at that point. I know I was thinking we got to find out now where we go next.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I</s>BORGER (voice-over): Coming up --</s>LIEBERMAN: Al places the call and we don't hear Governor Bush. At one point I believe Al said something like, "You don't have to be so snippety about it."</s>BORGER: In the early morning hours on November 8th while thousands gather outside in Nashville, Joe Lieberman and his wife Hadassah are in their hotel room waiting to hear if he will be the nation's next vice president.</s>LIEBERMAN: Somebody had sent an arrangement of flowers to our room, and in coming into the room, she expressed herself, expletives deleted, and basically sort of knocked the flowers off the table.</s>BORGER: Everyone is frustrated. And then shortly after 2:00 a.m., it gets worse.</s>RATHER: Bush wins. Florida goes Bush. The presidency is Bush. That's it.</s>BROKAW: The home state of Governor Jeb Bush. It's going to be a much happier Thanksgiving for the Bush family.</s>PETER JENNINGS, ABC NEWS ANCHOR: ABC News is going to project that Florida goes to Mr. Bush. Just stop and absorb that for a second.</s>LIEBERMAN: We've got the TV on. All of a sudden, whichever network we were watching, you know, I think it was CNN and it was Bernard Shaw, I think, broke in and said --</s>SHAW: George Bush, governor of Texas, will become the 43rd president of the United States.</s>LIEBERMAN: I actually get a chill when I say it right now. And I said I've got to go see Al.</s>BORGER: What Lieberman didn't know was that Gore had already decided to concede. He placed the call.</s>DALEY: He just said, Governor, you know, put a fight or whatever he said, I forget the exact words, but conceded, it was a very short call. I think Governor Bush just thanked him. There was no love lost between either one of these guys. They didn't like each other, period. And so it was probably a 10-second call at most. And that was it.</s>HUGHES: At the time he conceded, Jeb Bush was still over there on his computer, and he's like what they're seeing. I don't know what numbers they're seeing. I think it's still too close.</s>BORGER (on camera): So were you guys kind of surprised? It sounds like Jeb was.</s>HUGHES: I think Jeb was surprised when Vice President Gore called to concede.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Jeb Bush was the governor of Florida at the time. Trying to deliver the state for his big brother. He wasn't the only one scratching his head at Gore's concession.</s>WHOULEY: Our numbers were going back and forth.</s>BORGER: At headquarters, Michael Whouley, Gore's own numbers wizard, kept doing the math with no idea that Gore's motorcade was already on the way for his concession speech. (</s>On camera): How is it that you guys in the boiler room were not told they were going to concede?</s>WHOULEY: I don't know. I think they believed the network news. When Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather said that George Bush had won, they thought it was game over. But there was a furious scramble to find somebody in the motorcade.</s>FELDMAN: Maybe a minute after we left the hotel, my White House pager went off. It was a call from Michael Whouley.</s>WHOULEY: I think my words were, you know, where are you guys? And he said we're at the War Memorial. And I asked why. I was obviously incredulous. And he said we're about to concede. And I said for what? We haven't lost.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Something was fishy and it smelled all the way to Austin where team George W. Bush nervously waited.</s>KENNERLY: Jeb Bush looking like his life is passing before his eyes because he's the good brother whose state is going to let down his brother George. And George and Laura Bush looking pretty like kind of shell shocked a little bit.</s>BORGER: Finally after 3:00 a.m., a second call to Bush from Gore, who was still hunkered down backstage at the War Memorial.</s>HUGHES: The phone rang again, and I heard Governor Bush in this very incredulous voice saying, you're retracting your concession? And, you know, I mean, there's no precedent for anything like that.</s>LIEBERMAN: Then at another point toward the end of the conversation, he said, I don't care what your little brother says. The networks are all saying now it's too close to call. And, therefore, I've got to withdraw my concession.</s>DONNA BRAZILE, GORE CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I mean, hell, his brother was the governor. But, you know, he was like, well, my brother and I was like, hey, you know, I'll never forget his facial expression.</s>LIEBERMAN: So he hung up the phone, everybody cheers. And then somebody says, wow, you called Jeb Bush's little brother. So Al says, I didn't call him his little brother. He called him his little brother.</s>BORGER: As the Bush team squirmed in Austin, it fell to Gore campaign chairman Bill Daley to deliver an unprecedented message, that Gore had withdrawn his concession. It was 4:00 a.m.</s>DALEY: And Gore said to me you do it. I said I'm not going to do it. Forget about it, I'm not going to go out there on TV at 2:30. He said no, you do it. So I thought, oh, my god, I got to get out there. To a billion people worldwide watching this in the middle of the night in the U.S. They're trying to figure out who's the president of the United States. This race is simply too close to call. And until the results -- the recount is concluded and the results in Florida become official, our campaign continues.</s>BORGER: Up next, taking the fight to the streets of Florida.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wasn't a big fan of Al Gore's, and the prospect of evening the score was an enticing prospect to me.</s>BORGER: At the governor's mansion in Austin, it was the morning after.</s>BUSH: How many hours of sleep did you get last night?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About two. How about you?</s>BUSH: About three. And a half, actually.</s>KLAIN: The one thing that keeps every operative, every person who looks at on a campaign going, is the knowledge that it's over on election day. You know that this thing has an end.</s>BORGER: But the election of 2000 didn't end. It just moved to Florida, where 25 electoral votes would determine the presidency.</s>DALEY: We were going to take Liebermann's plane. And Ron Klain was going to lead the charge. We had a bunch of lawyers get briefed on -- on the whole thing. And they were going to go off to Florida that night, in the middle of the night.</s>KLAIN: I remember telling my wife as I left early that morning to get on the plane that I'd be home by Friday. I was pretty sure I'd be home by Friday.</s>BORGER (on camera): Good idea.</s>KLAIN: Yes.</s>BORGER (voice-over): In Austin, team Bush needed a leader. A heavy hitter. The choice was obvious.</s>BUSH: We have asked former United States Secretary of State, James Baker, to travel to Florida on our behalf.</s>JOE ALLBAUGH, BUSH CAMPAIGN MANAGER: And he said, well, Joe, how long do you think we ought to pack for? And I said, oh, two or three days. We're going to the Sunshine State.</s>BAKER: By 2:00 that afternoon, I was on an airplane to Florida with Joe Allbaugh.</s>ALLBAUGH: He has one bag and we get in the plane. Very small plane. Fly off to Tallahassee, and he says, OK, brief me. After about 45 minutes, he leans back in the seat, and he says we're headed to the Supreme Court. I was absolutely blown away.</s>BORGER (on camera): The Supreme Court.</s>ALLBAUGH: The Supreme Court of the United States. I said, you're kidding me. And without batting an eye, taking a breath, he said it's the only way this can end.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Punching heavyweight for the Democrats was former secretary of State, Warren Christopher.</s>WARREN CHRISTOPHER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: We're proceeding in accordance with the constitution of laws, and we'll continue to do so.</s>BORGER: Both, statesmen. Both diplomats. But hardly alike.</s>RATHER: You'd never met anybody who had more respect for. But he was an old fashioned, by-the-book lawyer. Jim Baker was that, plus a down- in-the-pit, political, hand-to-hand combat fighter.</s>BROKAW: Look, when I heard that Jim Baker was going to be involved on the other side, this is a guy who comes armed on both sides. I mean, you know, he carries two holsters and he's got other hidden weapons.</s>BORGER: Baker and Christopher had only one face-to-face meeting. At the governor's inn in Tallahassee where it became very clear they were fighting different wars.</s>KLAIN: Secretary Christopher laid out a number of ideas about how the uncertainty in Florida might be resolved. And Secretary Baker listened, politely. But simply said, really, I have no idea what you're talking about. There's no dispute here. Governor Bush won the election. Secretary of State Katherine Harris is going to certify that. And the only thing we're here to discuss that is the terms and conditions under which Vice President Gore is going to concede.</s>BAKER: There was never any thought or suggestion that we could come to a conclusion because somebody had to win and somebody had to lose.</s>BORGER (on camera): But I heard you just came in and were very sort of very like we won. Like we're preserving this --</s>BAKER: Of course I did, because that's what I believed and, by the way, that's what happened.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Baker knew, to win, he needed to get out of Florida's courts.</s>BAKER: If we didn't find a way to get into the federal courts, we were dead meat.</s>BORGER: Because the Florida Supreme Court was dominated by Democrats, Baker had to make his case to conservatives who wanted to leave it at the state level.</s>BAKER: You want to be ideologically pure? Or do you want to win? They said we want to win. I said, well, then don't be criticizing our going to federal court because if we stay with the Florida Supreme Court, we're going to lose. There was no doubt about it. And if you look at their opinions and the way they screwed us with those opinions, it -- we would've lost.</s>BORGER: The Gore team complained the odds were against them. Republicans controlled the statehouse and George Bush's brother Jeb was the governor.</s>GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: We thought it would be close. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine it would be this close.</s>DALEY: If you own the system, which the governor, at the time, Bush, owned, you generally will win. They didn't do anything criminal or inappropriate. But as I said, I think if the Democrats controlled the governorship and basically controlled the state, no doubt in my mind, those calls would have been made for the Democrat.</s>BORGER (on camera): Jeb was sort of the wizard behind the curtain.</s>DALEY: Yes. Right. Well, he's the governor of the state.</s>BORGER: Yes.</s>DALEY: And there was -- there was chaos as a result of an election in his state. And he was going to come back and try to get control of this thing.</s>ALLBAUGH: He's between a rock and a hard spot. I mean, obviously, he wants his brother to win. But he can show no favoritism in his role as governor of the state. And we weren't asking him. I don't believe that he pulled any levers.</s>BORGER: Or maybe he didn't have to. Maybe it was just understood.</s>KLAIN: No major law firm in Florida would work for Al Gore.</s>BORGER (on camera): Even Democratic?</s>KLAIN: Even Democratic-oriented law firms because everyone was afraid of antagonizing the Bush family, antagonizing the governor, and losing important state business.</s>BORGER: Did you have any evidence that they had been called by the governor?</s>KLAIN: No evidence that anyone said anything to anybody. Stuff didn't have to be said, right? It was just all obvious. It turned out that the name of the governor of the state of Florida was the same name as the name of the person we were running against. You know, and so nothing had to be said. And I'm not saying that Governor Bush did anything wrong. I don't believe he did. I want to be clear about that. But it wasn't a fair process. It wasn't a neutral process. It was a process that was rigged against us.</s>BORGER: What was rigged?</s>KLAIN: Kind of everything. So we can start with the fact that the person who was in charge of making sure, of directing the counties to do what Florida law required, which is a recanvass, a retabulation of their votes in every county, was George Bush's campaign chair in Florida, Katherine Harris.</s>GLORIA, BORGER, CNN HOST: Up next the war that wouldn't end.</s>KATHERINE HARRIS, GEORGE BUSH'S CAMPAIGN CHAIR: I hereby declare Governor George W. Bush the winner.</s>JOHN "MAC" STIPANOVICH, SENIOR ADVISER TO KATHERINE HARRIS: Katherine thought that George had won the election. And we were going to fight them tooth and nail, house to house, hand to hand. And we were going to hold Florida unless they sent in federal troops.</s>BORGER: In the 2000 election, more than 100 million ballots were cast in 50 states. But the race would come down to a few hundred votes and the authority of one woman.</s>HARRIS: It's exciting to see the process working.</s>BORGER: Destined for infamy.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Am I going to enjoy watching that Tennessee robot cry when he hears the results? Yes. Does that make me partisan? I don't think so.</s>BORGER: Katherine Harris was the Republican Florida secretary of state in charge of the recount. And she was also the state campaign co-chair for George W. Bush.</s>BILL DALEY, GORE CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: What we asked her for was that she would be honest broker.</s>BORGER (on camera): And what was her response?</s>DALEY: Well, thank you.</s>BORGER: But you walked out of there and you were like --</s>DALEY: Forget this. You know?</s>KLAIN: Of course she was trying to win for George Bush. That's what she was doing. But she was using her power as secretary of state. As the state's election administration official. To try to produce that result. And that was wrong.</s>BAKER: My sense is she was trying to do the best job she could. She'd been thrust into this, sort of, involuntarily. It was a great, big role.</s>HARRIS: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.</s>BEN GINSBERG, BUSH CAMPAIGN NATIONAL COUNSEL: There was nobody she could call up and say, so, I've got a presidential recount here. What do I do as secretary of state?</s>BAKER: She was very nervous. She was quite -- yes, and my recollection is this Mac Stipanovich was her adviser and he was a solid person.</s>BORGER (voice-over): A well-respected Tallahassee lobbyist with ties to Jeb Bush and a long history in Republican politics, Mac Stipanovich became Katherine Harris's brain.</s>STIPANOVICH: I explained to her, you don't have any friends. This isn't</s>BORGER: As Americans watched the partisans duke it out daily on live TV, behind the scenes, Mac was plotting the Republican path to victory.</s>STIPANOVICH: I called the senior staff together and I said we're not going to break any laws but I want you to forget about the intended loss. We're going to bring this election</s>BORGER: He knew exactly what he had to do. Stop recounting votes and preserve Bush's election night lead no matter how small.</s>STIPANOVICH: We actually believed the result was right. I said George Bush has won this election, and it is our job to make it so. And we're going to, rapidly as possible, close off any option, any path, that could be followed that produces any result other than that one. People are going to watch this and be appalled, oh, my god, the corrupt bastards. They stole the election. No, we won the election.</s>BORGER: No, you didn't, said the Democrats, citing a long list of complaints. In Broward County, hanging in dimpled chads that left voter intent unclear. In Duval, confusing instructions to voters. And in Palm Beach, the now-notorious butterfly ballot. (</s>On camera): How would you describe what happened to Al Gore in Florida?</s>DALEY: He got screwed by a bad ballot in Palm Beach that the Democratic leadership in that county signed off on.</s>BORGER (voice-over): The butterfly ballot had punch holes for Al Gore and ultraconservative Pat Buchanan located dangerously close to each other. Just asking for mistakes.</s>REP. ROBERT WEXLER (D-FL): I can tell you that the people came out of the voting booth in the hundreds, knowing, realizing, that they had punched Pat Buchanan's number, thinking it was Al Gore.</s>DALEY: Had the butterfly ballot not happened, Al Gore would've been president of the United States. No doubt in my mind. Period.</s>BORGER: A big glitch that after election day left Gore scrambling to fix the unfixable.</s>GINSBERG: They had a real argument to make about that ballot, but only before the election. They didn't have it afterwards. The Democrats signed off on it. The Republicans signed off on it. It was designed by a Democratic elections director in Palm Beach County.</s>DALEY: He had very few options to fundamentally change the outcome after that.</s>BORGER: So how and how hard to fight? Questions that would dog and divide the Democrats.</s>MICHAEL WHOULEY, GORE NATIONAL FIELD DIRECTOR: When you're in a fight, the first person who stops fighting always loses.</s>BORGER: As days of uncertainty turned into weeks, the bitterness spread. Even outside the vice president's house.</s>DALEY: They were there praying and chanting get out of Cheney's house. So they were trying to build the image that we were the ones who were not following the law.</s>BORGER: Behind the gates, the Gore family strained to project normalcy. And as his team huddled inside, it soon became clear that not everyone was in a take-no-prisoners mood.</s>SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, GORE VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE: And somebody came over to me and said, Senator, you're a young man with a great future. And so is Al Gore. And I just urge you to look at the decisions we have to make in that light. And --</s>BORGER (on camera): Don't be a sore loser.</s>LIEBERMAN: Yes, and I was shocked, I must say, by that reaction.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Image was key during the recount. And each man stayed true to form.</s>BAKER: Bush differed from Gore significantly because what Bush did was to pass the responsibility and authority to me.</s>DALEY: They were going through the charade of having a transition.</s>BORGER (on camera): Right.</s>DALEY: And Cheney was out there meeting with people and probably picking the Cabinet.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Gore, meanwhile, managed every detail of the fight. (</s>On camera): And the Gore campaign, you had Gore at the Naval Observatory.</s>BAKER: He was more of a micro manager.</s>AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: Machines can sometimes misread or fail to detect the way ballots are cast.</s>BORGER (voice-over): One of the biggest choices Gore had to make, which votes to recount. The final decision, just four out of Florida's 67 counties. (</s>On camera): Why those four? Why not just statewide recount?</s>KLAIN: Those were four counties where we had concrete evidence of errors, inaccuracies, and mistakes on election day. Secondly, the clock was ticking. And we knew that the time we had to get these things counted was limited.</s>BORGER (voice-over): One more thing about the counties the Democrats chose, they were heavily Democratic.</s>BAKER: I think the biggest mistake they made during the whole thing was to ask for a recount in four Democratic counties. That gave us the high ground. They had a good slogan. Count every vote. How can that be fair? Just to ask for a recount in your counties.</s>DONNA BRAZILE, GORE CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Our legal strategy was predicated on four counties, believing that if we went back and recounted those four counties, we would make up the difference.</s>BORGER (on camera): Was that a mistake?</s>BRAZILE: Very much a mistake.</s>BORGER (voice-over): The Florida courts let recount continue for three crazy weeks. As the tension became surreal.</s>BAKER: The Gore campaign refused to accept the vote count on election day.</s>DALEY: The delays have been largely the product of lawsuits filed by Republicans or erroneous legal opinions for the secretary of state.</s>BORGER: When the clock ran out on November 26th, Secretary of State Katherine Harris grandly announced the results.</s>STIPANOVICH: We needed the nation to see hat, as far as we were concerned, it was over. George Bush had won. Move on. And so it was important that there be some drama.</s>BORGER: And there was plenty of drama.</s>HARRIS: In accordance with the laws of the state of Florida, I, hereby, declare Governor George W. Bush the winner of Florida's 25 electoral votes for the president of the United States.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Good evening.</s>BORGER: The margin, 537 votes.</s>BUSH: Secretary Cheney and I are honored and humbled to have won the state of Florida, which gives us the needed electoral votes to win the election.</s>BORGER: And Lieberman fired back.</s>LIEBERMAN: This evening, the secretary of state of Florida has decided to certify what, by any reasonable standard, is an incomplete and inaccurate count of the votes cast in the state of Florida. Part of why I went out, clearly, was to say to the public, this ain't over yet. You know? It ain't over until it's over.</s>BORGER: And it wasn't over. Just halftime. The Democrats went to the friendly state Supreme Court and won big.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Circuit Court shall order a manual recount of all under votes.</s>BORGER: Not only did the court deny Bush's victory in Florida, but it also ordered a new statewide recount of disputed ballots. Advantage, Gore. (</s>On camera): Did you believe at that point at all that you might win?</s>KLAIN: Yes.</s>BORGER: Yes?</s>KLAIN: Yes.</s>BORGER: Why?</s>KLAIN: Because we had more votes. We just needed to get them counted.</s>LIEBERMAN: The vice president's residence on Friday night was a party. Everybody was thrilled about the victory in the Florida Supreme Court because we felt that it was the preface to a victory overall because it would give us the recount we wanted.</s>BORGER (voice-over): But there was no joy in Bushville.</s>KAREN HUGHES, BUSH CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Excruciating. Just excruciating. I just remember thinking it just seemed unfair and arbitrary.</s>BAKER: It was like being on a treadmill. I mean, we never knew from day to day whether we were going to win or whether we were going to lose. We'd lose a case one day. We'd win one the next day.</s>BORGER: As Baker had predicted from day one, he would have to look to another court for the final outcome he wanted.</s>TED OLSON, BUSH SUPREME COURT ATTORNEY: We felt that we had sound, constitutional arguments in our favor.</s>DAVID BOIES, GORE SUPREME COURT ATTORNEY: I think it was probably the biggest disappointment that I've had in my lifetime in terms of what the Supreme Court has done.</s>BORGER: The election that should have ended the same day it began is still dragging on one month later.</s>UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: I think 31 days into this, we learned to think that anything is possible.</s>DALEY: It's like Groundhog Day.</s>HUGHES: I just remember thinking this is never going to end.</s>BORGER: After the Florida Supreme Court allowed the recount to continue, the Democrats could smell success. But Republicans pushed past the Florida Supreme Court, to an even higher authority.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to put a stay on the recount in Florida.</s>BORGER: On December 9th, in a stunning decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, to stop the count.</s>BOIES: I am eating lunch in the sports bar when the television flashed across the screen that the United States Supreme Court had issued an order stopping the vote count. My first reaction is that had to be a mistake.</s>BORGER (on camera): Can't be true.</s>BOIES: Was true.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Advantage, Bush. And so the final showdown was set between two super lawyers. Democrat David Boies for Gore who was desperate to restart the counting.</s>BOIES: Citizen's right to vote. It certainly felt momentous. We knew the stakes were very high.</s>BORGER: And Republican Ted Olson, who went to work immediately to keep the count frozen.</s>OLSON: I found literally a broom closet on the floor beneath where everybody was working, where I can close the door and think and write.</s>BORGER: After just 36 hours to prep, Olson and Boies climbed the marble steps, each ascending into a legal stratosphere no one could have scripted.</s>OLSON: The time pressures, the fact that the presidency of the United States was at stake, the fact that this was a political battle, a media battle, and a legal battle, all taking place, so-called perfect storm. All taking place in a very short period of time.</s>BORGER: For 90 minutes, the two men went at it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll hear argument on number 00949 George W. Bush and Richard Cheney versus Albert Gore.</s>BORGER: For team Bush, Olson argued that the Florida court had changed the rules in the middle of the game by allowing a statewide recount.</s>OLSON: If one reads it the way the Florida Supreme Court did, the entire process is tilted on its head. You can't have rules that say they must be counted -- ballots must be counted this way before the election and then count them differently after the election.</s>BORGER: For team Gore, David Boies countered the high court had no business intervening in the first place.</s>BOIES: That is something that has to be decided in the initial instance by the Florida Supreme Court interpreting Florida law. The real issue is which court ought to be making that decision? Historically, it was always the State Supreme Court. Historically, the United States Supreme Court had never intervened in a presidential election.</s>BORGER: But this time, it would.</s>LARRY KING, FORMER CNN HOST: They have reached a decision. That word is imminent. Don't leave</s>CNN. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The judge of the Supreme Court of Florida is reversed.</s>BORGER: By a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court decided the recount would not continue. It was over and Bush had won. News that would soon reach Republican headquarters in Tallahassee.</s>GINSBERG: We got a heads-up call about 10 minutes beforehand that said the opinion's coming. Watch your fax machine.</s>BORGER (on camera): Fax machine.</s>GINSBERG: Fax machine.</s>BAKER: I got a call from Austin, from Governor Bush. And I answered the call and I said, congratulations, Mr. President-elect.</s>GINSBERG: We gathered everybody together. To the next president of the United States. Everybody fought really hard. They had done an incredible job. It was an incredible setting. And precisely the outcome we had hoped for.</s>BORGER: You're still emotional.</s>GINSBERG: I'm still emotional about it, sure. You know, it's just moments of pure -- of pure joy.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Or devastation, if you worked for Al Gore.</s>KLAIN: I got on the phone with Vice President Gore and started to read him parts of it. We got to the part where the court essentially ordered that the recount wouldn't go forward, and that was, you know, the moment when it was really over.</s>BORGER (on camera): What did you say?</s>KLAIN: I said a series of four-letter words. And I'm not going to repeat it here because my mom watches</s>CNN. BORGER (voice-over): Twenty years later, Democrats are still second guessing. Nick Baldick had been on the ground in Florida for Al Gore.</s>NICK BALDICK, GORE FLORIDA SENIOR ADVISER: If you work in an election like that, and it ends up getting decided by one vote in the Supreme Court, you constantly have to say to yourself, what could I have done?</s>BORGER: Should Democrats have been more aggressive?</s>BALDICK: I think the Republicans came to a gunfight with a gun and we came with a knife.</s>BORGER: Did Gore's initial concession set him up as a sore loser? (</s>On camera): Do you regret telling Gore to concede in the first place?</s>DALEY: Yes. Yes. Uh-huh. I do. And at the point that we recommended that it was over, there was no other option as long as Florida was with Bush.</s>BORGER (voice-over): Should Democrats have made more use of President Bill Clinton, who was kept on the sidelines by the Gore campaign?</s>BRAZILE: We did not utilize him to his full effect in this, no question.</s>DALEY: Anybody else goes through the use Bill Clinton, the -- that's all bullshit.</s>BORGER: Al Gore had won the national popular vote by more than half a million but he lost the two most important votes. The one in the electoral college and the one at the Supreme Court. Case closed. But even now the dispute lives on because nobody can prove for sure how voters intended to vote.</s>BALDICK: I think more people went to the polls intending to vote for Al Gore for president than George Bush in Florida. Yes.</s>STIPANOVICH: I thought George Bush had won.</s>BORGER: Even Republican operative Mac Stipanovich agrees.</s>STIPANOVICH: I believe the people who went to the polls that day and voted elected George Bush. I believe the people who went to the polls that day and intended to vote probably elected Al Gore.</s>DALEY: Most elections are screwed up. The presidency of the United States is rarely at risk based upon that.</s>BORGER: On January 20th, George W. Bush was sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States, and the 2000 election entered the record books as the closest and most controversial race in modern political history. (</s>On camera): So to this day, you think you won?</s>BALDICK: I think it was fundamentally a tie. I think if we had kept counting, it would have been very interesting.</s>BORGER: And maybe you would've won?</s>BALDICK: We'll never know.

Trump Signs Off On A $1.8 Trillion Stimulus Counter Offer To Pelosi; Delta Now A Tropical Storm As It Lashes Louisiana, Moves Into South

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: The next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do you think you got the virus?</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They had some big events at the White House, perhaps, there.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wants to have another White House event after the last one became a superspreader event.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He didn't take the necessary precaution to protect himself or others.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Faces of the men facing charges and an alleged domestic terror plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not a militia; it is a domestic terror organization.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hurricane Delta has slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the last thing that southern Louisiana needs, still blue tarps from the Hurricane Laura that came through six weeks ago.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul. Live look of New York, beautiful on a Saturday morning, top of the hour now. And today, turning toward Washington as many as 2,000 people could be at the White House. President Trump is hosting an event. The first public event since being hospitalized for COVID-19 symptoms.</s>CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: And the White House hasn't released the results of his most recent test this morning. The President says he took it yesterday. You're going to hear more about it, the state of his health, in his own words.</s>BLACKWELL: Also, this morning, the second presidential debate has officially been canceled. You know, the president refused to debate Joe Biden virtually. We're going to tell you what these candidates are scheduling instead of participating in that debate.</s>PAUL: So, CNN's Sarah Westwood is following all the developments from the White House this morning. Sarah, good to see you. So, they're expecting 2,000 people at the White House there today. Dr. Anthony Fauci had said the last White House gathering was a -- I'm quoting, superspreader event. What are they doing differently this time around?</s>SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Oh, good morning Victor and Christi. And, yes, it's not clear that they're doing really anything different. We are expecting hundreds -- potentially thousands of people together on the South Lawn today. The president is expected to speak from the White House balcony. People are required to bring masks and temperature checks will be conducted. But it's a similar setup and it is just coming just a few weeks after a ceremony in the Rose Garden. And as you mentioned, Dr. Anthony Fauci described as a superspreader event because multiple attendees did contract coronavirus after attending that event, including some of the President's closest aides and allies like former Governor Chris Christie, who was hospitalized as he battles the virus, and others are still recovering from it as well. Now, the president is awaiting the results of his latest test. We don't yet know if he's negative, but the doctors are laying the groundwork to clear him to head back to the campaign trail. The President expects to hold his first campaign rally since his hospitalization on Monday. He said last night that he's no longer taking any medication to fight the virus. Although, he did reveal that a lung scan at one point showed he did have congestion. Victor and Christi.</s>BLACKWELL: So, Sarah, tell us about what the President is saying about where he thinks he contracted the virus.</s>WESTWOOD: Yesterday, we heard the President speculating a little bit about where he's gotten it. He's previously suggested that he perhaps contracted it at a September 27 event honoring Goldstar families. But last night, he acknowledged it was likely he caught the virus at the White House.</s>TRUMP: They had some big events at the White House and perhaps there. I don't really know. Nobody really knows for sure. Numerous people have contracted it. But, you know, people have contracted it all over the world. It's highly contagious.</s>WESTWOOD: And last night, Trump also defended his joy ride past supporters who had gathered outside Walter Reed. He said that the Secret Service agents in the car were adequately protected, even though the President was contagious at the time that he got into the motorcade. Victor and Christi.</s>BLACKWELL: Sarah Westwood for us there at the White House. Thanks so much.</s>PAUL: So, we hear the president saying that we shouldn't be afraid of the virus. We do want to remind you how dangerous it can be particularly as we look in and give, obviously, very good wishes to former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. He's still hospitalized this morning. He attended that Rose Garden event, participated in a debate prep with the president and still under close watch by doctors as he battles coronavirus. He checked himself into a hospital last Saturday. That was a precautionary measure because he has asthma. But he's telling CNN he is being treated with remdesivir, which is one of the same drugs the President was prescribed.</s>BLACKWELL: Today, Joe Biden is going to be in Erie, Pennsylvania for a campaign event. Last night, he was in Las Vegas and he went after the president over his plan to host thousands of people at the White House today. He also criticized the President's recent erratic behavior.</s>BIDEN: His reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis with a stabilizing effect his having in our government is unconscionable. He didn't take the necessary precautions to protect himself or others. And the longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets. How can we trust him to protect this country?</s>PAUL: Now, I know you've been wondering about the next presidential debate, it has been canceled. A member of the debate commission and former chairman of the FCC told the New York Times quote, "In seven decades of televised presidential debates, this is the first debate to be canceled. The loser is the American voter." Unquote.</s>BLACKWELL: Another reversal from the president, the stimulus talks are back on after the president called them off earlier in the week. CNN's Manu Raju has the latest.</s>MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Trump has been all over the map about whether or not to move forward with the new economic stimulus package. Just a few days ago, he said it's over, he pulled the plug. He said his negotiators should no longer talk to Nancy Pelosi and wait and then until after the November elections to come up with a plan. Well, this came as a surprise to a lot of Republicans get criticism from Republicans, the stock market tumbled and perhaps looking at his own poll numbers too, the President has changed his tune. He's now come back and says he wants a big deal, even bigger than what Nancy Pelosi proposing, which is $2.2 trillion. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sent a proposal to Capitol Hill on Friday with $1.8 trillion. And that is a lot more than what Senate Republicans are behind. They asked to be on a $500 billion plan. And they certainly have divided about including doing anything above over a trillion dollars. But even Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, told me he supported President Trump's call from earlier in the week to punt on this issue until later. Now, President Trump, his team, and the speaker's team, I have a lot to negotiate, even though they might think they're close on a price tag, there are a lot of details that are still yet unresolved, namely, how to deal with contact tracing, how to deal with testing, how to deal with other issues in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, those are things that they're still trying to sort out. And then you have the issue about the Republican-led Senate, will they agree to anything the Trump administration and Nancy Pelosi agreed to highly uncertain. And Mitch McConnell said just on Friday, it is unlikely any deal will come together before November 3rd. Manu Raju, CNN, Washington.</s>PAUL: Thank you to Manu there. We're tracking Delta this morning, getting our first look at the damage overnight. Look at this. My goodness, the wind. Now, I want to tell you Delta is a tropical storm this hour. It's knocked out power to more than 700,000 people in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.</s>BLACKWELL: Yes, the wind there from Delta. You can hear it there whistling through this home in sweet Lake Louisiana. More than a half million people are without power in the Louisiana alone. And look here, you've got the flooded street. This is from a hospital parking garage. We can see here in Lake Charles. Flash Flooding is obviously a huge concern because of the heavy rain there. And still, that storm is moving through. And Delta is also damaging some areas that have already been hit by Hurricane Laura. That was just six weeks ago. This is the fourth name storm to hit Louisiana this year. It is a record.</s>PAUL: CNN Meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, has been riding the storm out in Louisiana. He's with us now from a flooded Delcambre, Louisiana. We see you there, Derek. How was it overnight and what is it like there this morning?</s>DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good morning, Victor. Good morning, Christi. We are in Vermilion Parish and this is storm surge, seven to 10 feet. That was what was realized at some of the local gauges across the region. We are in Delcambre, Louisiana, an area that we understand, and the residents know here is so susceptible to storm surge and flooding clearly. And residents are starting to wake up this morning and assess the damage from Hurricane Delta. Just spoke to a woman who emerged out of her house with her pets just a moment ago telling us that she's OK, but her home is also going to be impacted by some of the waters, but fortunately, her home is on stilts. You see in order to live in this particular town in Southern Louisiana, in order to have home insurance, you have to have your home on stilts. You can see this home will actually be unscathed from the floodwaters and storm surge, but behind me, not so fortunate. In fact, what you can't see is a completely submerged vehicle there as well. I can physically see the storm surge starting to recede. Low tide is approaching. Of course, the storm has moved on here. But as first light approaches, this morning, starts to cast that light on this area. We will be able to assess and fully understand the impacts of the storm surge and the wind damage across the area. Driving home last night from the center of the storm, we were in the middle of Hurricane Delta. We saw a lot of trees that were broken, some roof and shingles that have come off. But it really started to pick up intensity as we got home because the wind and the backside of the storm, even though it wasn't raining, was very intense. Back to you.</s>PAUL: All right. Derek Van Dam live for us in Louisiana. Glad you, the crew, and everybody there is OK.</s>BLACKWELL: All right. Still ahead, the U.S. has just reported the highest number of daily COVID-19 infections in nearly two months, and experts are worried. Find out what they're saying, next.</s>PAUL: Also, 13 men accused of being domestic terrorists in an elaborate plot to kidnap Michigan's governor. Hear why one of the suspect's attorneys' questions if authorities arrested his client by mistake.

Experts Sound Alarm Over U.S. COVID Cases Spike

BLACKWELL: Police in Wisconsin have used tear gas on protesters as demonstrators, over the fatal police shooting of Alvin Cole entered the demonstrations, I should say ended, after a third night.</s>PAUL: During clashes after it emerged that the officer who shot the black 17-year-old in February will not face criminal charges. Now, tensions were inflamed when Alvin's mother and sisters were arrested Thursday night. It wasn't clear why though and they've been released since without charges. There's some new warnings from health experts here in the U.S. this morning after the country's daily new COVID cases jumped to more than 57,000 yesterday. That's the highest level in nearly two months.</s>BLACKWELL: One infectious disease expert tells CNN that Florida is ripe for another large outbreak and there are alarming trends across the country with just two states, Maine and Nebraska, reporting a decline in cases. Well, now, there's a report from the New York Times it says the White House blocked what would have been the toughest federal mandate yet on stopping the spread of the virus. According to the paper, two federal health officials said the CDC drafted an order to make masks requirements on public transportation. It had the support of the HHS Secretary, but the White House coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, declined to even discuss it.</s>PAUL: So, yesterday, as we said, the most cases in a single day since August 14th. Polo Sandoval is in New York with the very latest. Polo, we were expecting, obviously, I think medical experts warned us to expect more cases, but that's a pretty frightening number.</s>POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's what we heard from health experts additionally, Christi, is they told us what to expect. And now what we're hearing is a clear warning, especially coming from the head of the White House coronavirus taskforce, which is it's important to take now -- take action now to try to help prevent spread when the virus takes off. That's actually the words from Dr. Deborah Birx, who says some of those actions should not just apply in public, but also in people's homes as people interact with some of their closest relatives because as the -- when you look at the outlook that's been offered by experts, it is grim.</s>SANDOVAL: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is out with a new warning, drawing another link between young people in some of the nation's COVID-19 hotspots. The CDC found positive test results generally started rising among people under the age of 25, about a month before a region was designated a COVID-19 hotspot. With the study, researchers are underscoring the need to address young people helping spark outbreaks. A local survey in one Wisconsin county showed young people worried they would feel weird or get odd looks wearing a mask.</s>MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, AMERICAN PROFESSOR: It starts out, first of all, with college students coming back to universities and colleges, and we're seeing substantial transmission there, which then is spilling over into the older adult population.</s>SANDOVAL: This week, the U.S. posted its highest number of single-day COVID cases in nearly two months, only a few states, those in green are reporting declines in new cases this week over last. In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine predicting a very rough winter with both hospitalizations and the average age of patients edging up.</s>GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): Every single number is going the wrong way.</s>SANDOVAL: In the Northeast, the moving average of new cases from September 8th to October 8th went up, a staggering 91 percent. Dr. Deborah Birx at the White House's coronavirus task force warns one possible reason is silent, asymptomatic, viral spread among families.</s>DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: The communities that are seeing uptick, please, bring that same discipline that you're bringing to the public spaces into your household and really limit engagement with others outside of your immediate household.</s>SANDOVAL: Reports of New York City's Queens and Brooklyn boroughs calls for compliance are growing amid an increase in COVID clusters. This week, members of Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods protested recent restrictions put in place to curb COVID-19 spread. Though virus vaccine is still in the works, one CDC official says, a formal plan to distribute it once it's available are on target to meet on October 16th deadline in some states and in D.C.</s>SANDOVAL: I want you to take back to those New York City hot -- so- called hotspots of codes, of course, health officials are seeing a positive rate about 5.4 percent compared 0.9 percent statewide and that's excluding those regions. Victor and Christi, that's one of the main reasons why New York State Health officials, right now, are scrambling to send out about 400,000 COVID rapid result tests to various health facilities. Obviously, they know that testing were the keys in trying to keep that number down.</s>BLACKWELL: Polo Sandoval for us in New York. Polo, thanks so much. So, this alleged domestic terror plot to incite a civil war was dismantled just a few weeks before the election. You're going to see the place where investigators say one of the members, actually, the ringleader suspected, was planning the kidnapping attack of Michigan's democratic governor.

Six Men Arraigned In Plot To Kidnap Michigan Governor

PAUL: Twenty-four minutes past the hour right now. And six of the 13 men accused in that massive terror plot to overthrow the government and start a civil war, also kidnap Michigan's governor, had been formally charged by the state now.</s>BLACKWELL: And they could face up to 20 years in prison. The six other suspects are facing federal kidnapping charges and if they're convicted, they could face life in prison. And attorney for one of the suspects told CNN that his client was not involved.</s>CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: He was not proud about what he's connected to?</s>PARKER DOUGLAS, ATTORNEY FOR DANIEL HARRIS: Well, he had some confusion and he -- he's certainly not happy to be connected with the -- what he's connected to. But, you know, even reading through the complaint, I'm not sure how much -- what he's connected to yet. He -- the only thing he said to me was that he's a person who likes his privacy and supports the Bill of Rights, and that he doesn't really find that he belongs in one party or the other.</s>BLACKWELL: Investigators say the suspected leader of the group lived in the basement of this vacuum repair shop in Michigan. He also worked there, and he mapped out the alleged attack. Shawn Turner is a CNN national security analyst and former director of communication for the U.S. National Intelligence. Shawn, welcome back.</s>SHAWN TURNER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thanks, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: Let's start here. FBI Director, Christopher Wray, has detailed the threat of right-wing, anti-government extremism, but you say that Michigan is a unique case, deserves special attention. Why?</s>TURNER: Well, you know, Victor, these militia groups, modern militia groups have been around since the late 80s, early 90s. But in most states, they sort of come and gone, the degree to which they're active is sort of -- sort of been inconsistent. But in a few states, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, mostly states across the Midwest, what we've seen is that these groups have been able to maintain their cohesiveness over time. They stick together, they continue to work and plot and plan, in particular in Michigan, and Michigan is a place where these groups are extremely sophisticated. So, they focus on being organized, they focused on communication, they focus on recruiting. And so, when authorities are looking at these groups, as they're sort of being reconstituted in other states across the country, what we're seeing is that those groups tend to look to Michigan to figure out exactly how to do this effectively. So, Michigan is one of those places where because of that reputation, we know these groups exist here. We know they're sophisticated, and we know that what we're -- what's happening here in Michigan, is to some degree, being sort of experts to other states across the country.</s>PAUL: OK. So, the FBI was saying that more deaths were caused by domestic violence extremists than international terrorists in recent years. In fact, they say 2019 was the deadliest year for domestic extremist violence since the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. How do you gauge which of these groups are truly threatening and which might not be?</s>TURNER: Well, you know, Christi, these groups exist on a continuum. And you -- when we look at what they're interested in, we look at everything from their anti-government views to their involvement in conspiracy theories. We recognize that they are heavily involved in firearms. And their view of the United States is not necessarily the melting pot view. So, while there's -- while there's no particular group, we have to look at the totality of these groups, because there's overlap between what these groups believe and how they operate. What we're really concerned about when we look at the threat of these groups cause is where they are getting their information, where they're getting their guidance. Increasingly, these groups are looking to the tactics, techniques, and procedures of foreign terrorist organizations to figure out how to operate here in the United States in a way that evades detection by law enforcement. Particularly, when we look at the sophistication of their communication, they're no longer simply picking up the cell phone and calling each other, they're using secure apps to communicate. And increasingly, they're spending some time in a particular communication app, and then they're switching to another secure app in order to seal their activities. We're looking at the way they organize, where they're trying to stay off the radar and organizing under the guise of different -- a different organizations in different groups in order to avoid detection. So, this they're particularly sophisticated, but they exist on a continuum, lots of concern here. And as we go into this election, it's really pretty clear that these groups are going to be a real problem for the coming -- for the coming years, so.</s>PAUL: Oh, goodness, Shawn Turner, we so appreciate your insight. Thank you for being with us.</s>BLACKWELL: Thanks, Shawn.</s>TURNER: Thanks, Christi.</s>BLACKWELL: So, there is no known cure for COVID-19, but the President insists the treatment that he receives, which few have access to, is the cure. Coming up, we'll get reaction from a physician who lost her father to COVID and their sister is still battling over those lingering systems.

North Korean Dictator Appears Emotional At Annual Show Of Force Amid Pandemic, Natural Disasters; Federal Judge Blocks Texas Governor's Directive Limiting Ballot Drop Boxes.

PAUL: I want to show nice this scene in North Korea overnight. And we saw a very different Kim Jong-un than the one that we've seen in the past. He apparently started getting emotional when he spoke to the crowd there.</s>BLACKWELL: Let's go to Will Ripley, who is watching this for us from Hong Kong. Will, listen, we can't know if that emotion was genuine or not, but at least, the display is very rare.</s>WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Discussions I've had with North Korean contacts, Victor, have basically summed it up as this. 2020 has been a tough year for everyone around the world, especially, a country like North Korea, which has such limited resources, and it has essentially sealed off their borders since January, which means all of the goods and items that they rely on to come in from China have not come in. And you add on top of that -- the hardship from that, a natural disaster. You had a typhoon, you've had major flooding. You had the coronavirus pandemic, which North Korea claims they don't have a single case. And it was striking to see in the crowd, you're talking about tens of thousands of people. People both in the parade and also cheering on for the parade, we couldn't see hardly any masks. People weren't wearing them. There wasn't social distancing. And that is really striking in a country, because around the world, while masks are mandatory, North Korea claims that it has effectively prevented COVID- 19 from entering its borders. A claim that some skeptics say they don't really believe. But Kim Jong-un sobbing there, standing at the podium, and crying, and thanking his people, and thanking his party, and his military for getting through these hard times really does indicate what a difficult situation it is right now in North Korea, a country that is more isolated than ever because foreign diplomats have left. And then, of course, all the usual military accoutrements, we're still seeing the weapons being -- the broadcast actually happening as we speak. I've been to several of these but never seen one like this. Also interesting that they filmed it at night. These broadcasts are not live. So, you have to wonder, did they do it in the middle of the night? Did they do it the day before? And we just don't have the information because no foreign reporters were allowed in this year because the North Korean borders remain closed.</s>BLACKWELL: All right. Will Ripley, thanks so much.</s>PAUL: All right, let's get to our "LEGAL BRIEF". A federal judge has blocked an order from the governor of Texas that would limit ballot drop boxes to just one per county. I want to put that in perspective for you. First of all, Harris County where Houston is located has a population of 4.7 million people. That's according to the census bureau. Under Governor Abbott's order, Harris County would have one, one dropbox. That's the same as Loving County that has a population of 169 people. Just so you understand the disparity that we're talking about here, Joey Jackson, of course, with us. CNN legal -- CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney. So, Joey, it's -- thank you for waking up early for us. We're 25 days from the election, how solid is this -- is this blocking of this directive? Is there time for it to change again?</s>JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Christi, good morning to you. So, there's always time, and you know, we never like to make predictions, what a year, wow, right? And so, from a legal perspective, certainly there could be more challenges. We, of course, having a very complicated appellate process. Not so complicated, but certainly allows for an appeal. But I think the essence of the decision in terms of its legal reasoning, Christi is very solid. And so, just briefly as it relates to that, you have an executive order which attempts to really disenfranchise voters, right? When you have absentee balloting, when you have mail-in balloting, what you want to do is you want to allow for access. You want to allow for those people who are older, it's defined as 65 years of age or older, not seeming so old to me, but that's what the law says. In addition to that, you have people who may be absent from the jurisdiction at the time of early voting or on voting day. And you have people who are sick or otherwise disabled. That's the qualified group we're talking about. And so, in essence, when you have Texas that has 254 counties, and some of those counties certainly the distances are long between them, you want to allow for access. And so, though there's one particular say, board of directions -- of elections area where a ballot can go to, what county and local officials did was say, hey, let's expand it. So, for example, in Harris County where you have the most populous in terms of people of color, you had 12 centers that were there. Well, the governor says, we're only going to have one. And it's because of this voter fraud issue. Well, what voter fraud, said the court? What security are you trying to do? What measures are you really taking? And this is a pretext to limit and disenfranchise voters. And so, the court essentially said that there was no showing or evidence that there was fraud, no showing of evidence that you're doing this for security purposes, you're really limiting people's access. And on that basis, on the basis of the equal protection clause, everyone being allowed to vote, treating people similarly, we believe that this is not proper, therefore, the -- of course, the court struck it down, could be appealed. But, I think, on the legal basis, it's very sound very solid reasoning and should stand.</s>PAUL: OK, good to know. I want to get to no-knock warrants real quick before we can let you go. A growing number of cities banning or kind of reining in the use of no-knock warrants since the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, of course, in Louisville, Kentucky. We even had the Illinois Governor Pritzker, pushing ahead with legislation to ban them which would affect Chicago obviously, a very big city. How significant is this at the end of the day, Joey?</s>JACKSON: I think it's very significant because of the issue of danger. And so, when you look at no-knock warrant, you first ask, well, what is that all about? Well, what happens is, is when you have officials who have what's called probable cause, reason to believe that this criminality in a particular location, they can go to a court, Christi, and they could swear out a warrant by giving specific facts as to what they believe to be occurring there. When you have a no-knock warrant, it means what it says. It means that police are authorized just to go into the location, oftentimes, guns are blazing, and certainly, you know, security protocols, you know, are in place for the police. But the occupants of the home may misconstrue what's occurring and it could be very dangerous. And so, what you want to do is have a knock and announce warrant. These are police, open up, people are informed in the inside of the apartment or the household. Police are there. And the essence of that is that is to make it less dangerous. And so, you're seeing predicated upon Breonna Taylor, of course, in other instances across the country that are not so popular as Breonna Taylor, that we want to curtail that. The government has an interest in saying, look, execute your warrant, determine where the criminality is, really do your job, but you have to do it in a safer basis. So, I think it's very significant, should also point out, Christi, that the federal government was looking at legislatively doing it on a federal level. But I think, state by state, they're examining it, whatever you can do to make people's lives safer, both officers and occupants of apartments or residents. I think it's a good look.</s>PAUL: Joey Jackson, your perspective is always appreciated. Thank you, sir.</s>JACKSON: Thank you, Christi.</s>PAUL: Of course.</s>BLACKWELL: So, this pandemic has sent the world into a global health crisis -- a health care crisis. It is also raising awareness about the need to take care of mental health. We'll talk about that next.

Trump Invites 2,000 People To Hear Him Speak From White House Balcony Today; Trump: Likely Contracted COVID-19 At One Of The Big Events At The White House; Biden Condemns Trump For Reckless Behavior; President Debate Canceled After Trump Refuses Virtual Format; Delta Now A Tropical Storm As It Lashes Louisiana Moves Into South

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Christi, Victor?</s>CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Jacqueline, thank you so much. Good reminder there.</s>VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Your next hour of your NEW DAY starts now.</s>REPORTER: Where do you think you got the virus?</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They had some big events at the White House, perhaps there.</s>CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST, CUOMO PRIME TIME: He wants to have another White House event after the last one became a super spreader event.</s>JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He didn't take the necessary precaution to protect himself or others.</s>CUOMO: The faces of the men facing charges in an alleged domestic terror plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area.</s>GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): This is not a militia. It is a domestic terror organization.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hurricane Delta has slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the last thing that Southern Louisiana needs. Still blue tarps from the Hurricane Laura that came through not six weeks ago--</s>ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND, with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.</s>BLACKWELL: You're looking at New Orleans here. Cloudy skies there, but we know more than clouds came through Louisiana overnight. We will be checking in with our team there in Southern Louisiana as Hurricane Delta, now tropical storm, hits communities that do not need more of the rain and wind after Laura was there just a few weeks ago. Good morning to you. Today, President Trump his hosting its first public event since being hospitalized for coronavirus symptoms. He is inviting 2,000 people to the White House.</s>PAUL: And the President says he took another coronavirus test yesterday. This morning, the White House hasn't released the results of that test. But you're going to hear more about the state of his health in his own words.</s>BLACKWELL: Also this morning, the second presidential debate - well, that's been cancelled officially now. The president, as you know, refused to debate Joe Biden virtually. We're going to tell you what these candidates are scheduling instead of attending that debate. We're going to start this hour with Sarah Westwood. She's following the developments from the White House. So, listen, you had a few hundred people at the announcement of Amy Coney Barrett as the nominee and we saw what happened there. And now the president is inviting 2,000 people to the White House. Anthony Fauci called the super spreader event problematic on the 26th of September, obviously. What's going to be different now more than just multiples of that number?</s>SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the White House isn't being clear on what exactly they're going to do differently moving forward at this event and others to protect people who are coming in close proximity to one another, because the White House is organizing these gatherings. We're expecting hundreds, potentially thousands of people to be on the South Lawn today. The President is expected to speak this afternoon from the White House balcony. The White House tells CNN that there will be masks. Masks will be encouraged. They'll be handed out to guests and temperature checks will be performed. But that's not really different than the event that, as you mentioned, Dr. Anthony Fauci described as a super spreader just a few weeks ago. That rose garden ceremony that has been linked to multiple cases of coronavirus within the President's inner circle, including close ally Chris Christie, by the way, who is still battling coronavirus in the hospital and many others are recovering at home at the moment. And we are awaiting the President's latest test results. We do not know if he has tested negative ahead of his first really big public appearance tomorrow - today, actually, and he is saying that he's not on any more medication for coronavirus. But he did reveal in an interview last night, Victor and Christi, that a lung scan showed at one point that he had congestion in his chest. That's something that he had not previously revealed.</s>PAUL: And in a lot of other people come into the White House. There's a lot of speculation. Today, of course, there what - about how the president contracted the virus in the first place? What is he saying about that today?</s>WESTWOOD: Yes. President Trump is participating in that speculation about just where he contracted the coronavirus. He has previously speculated that perhaps he caught it at an event honoring Gold Star families on the 27th. But last night, he acknowledged it was likely that he caught the virus here at the White House.</s>TRUMP: They had some big events at the White House and perhaps there. I don't really know, nobody really knows for sure. Numerous people have contracted it. But people have contracted it all over the world. It's highly contagious.</s>WESTWOOD: Now last night, Trump also defended his decision last week while he was hospitalized at Walter Reed to get into the motorcade while he was sick and drive by his supporters. That joy ride, as it's been called, received a lot of criticism, but the president said that the Secret Service agents who were in the car with him were adequately protected when he was defending that move.</s>PAUL: All right, Sarah Westwood, so good to see you this morning. Thank you for the update. Want to get to Jason Carroll. He's with us on the road with the Biden campaign. And Jason, the former vice president, he's been very critical of President Trump for holding these public events and his condition. What is he telling us now?</s>JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Without question, Christi, this is some of the toughest language, I think, we've heard to date from the vice president on this issue. For Biden, it's not just about the President's professional conduct; it's about his personal conduct. Yesterday, he was out at a campaign stop in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he basically argued that, not only has the President been reckless with his own life, but that he's been reckless with American lives. And as a result of everything that he's done, Biden argues, he's not fit to be commander in chief.</s>BIDEN: His reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis, the destabilizing effect it's having on our government is unconscionable. He didn't take the necessary precautions to protect himself or others. And the longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets. How can we trust him to protect this country?</s>CARROLL: Now when it comes to Trump holding these events, Biden also, basically at one point turned to reporters and said, "What is wrong with this guy?" He advised anyone who is planning to attend those Trump events to wear a mask and practice social distancing. As for Biden, later today, he'll be in Erie, Pennsylvania, an area that has been hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs, where he'll try to make a play for some of those moderate Democrats who switched and voted for Trump in 2016. Victor, Christi?</s>BLACKWELL: Jason Carroll in New York. Jason, thank you. So the second presidential debate has officially been cancelled. That's because President Trump refused to debate Joe Biden virtually. Instead, each candidate will host televised town hall that day. ABC News will host the event with former Vice President Biden. The Trump campaign Senior Advisor Jason Miller says that the president, he will answer questions from undecided voters on multiple networks. As of right now, the third debate is scheduled to take place and it will happen in-person.</s>PAUL: Let's get some thoughts from CNN Political Analyst Margaret Talev, now Politics and White House Editor for Axios. Good morning to you. So glad to have you're here, Margaret. I want to read you something from the former chairman of the CCC. He told "The New York Times" this. "In seven decades of televised presidential debates this is the first debate to be canceled. The loser is the American voter." And he said - I mean that that's the exact line that was in - that was - that we were talking about and heard so much from people after the first debate. Of what value is this second debate and the loss of it?</s>MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: So Christi, you're saying it's a lose, lose proposition. I mean, this is - the problem is that the debates only work if everybody who's involved in them plays by the same rules that they agreed to. And so when a debate turns into like a trolling sort of situation or a spectacle, you are getting some of the - you're getting information as a voter, but it's not like substantive information. You're getting information about people's strategy for communications. But if you want to get actual answers to like tax policy, or how somebody would govern, you can't get it in a situation like that. Could - can you - you can't get it in a situation where the debate doesn't exist. But for the debate to exist in person, certain safeguards have to be observed. Like, at the point that the Commission is making these decisions, nobody at the White House was able to share publicly whether or not when the last time the president had a negative test was. You have to be able to protect health and safety. The last time that campaign, including the president was not wearing masks in places where group were wearing masks. And so the on again, off again kind of like ping pong nature of this has been very hard to follow. To some extent, the two candidates are - going to give the public some version of this in these competing town halls. But, again, the moderated debate format, it almost seems like it's just from a time pass, like it only works if the rules are followed and if there's a good faith effort to follow the rules.</s>PAUL: Yes, that's a good point. There was an quote that said, "Debates are grounded by established rules, but also political norms and traditions. Both are only as strong as the candidate's willingness to respect them." That was from Alan Schroeder, a presidential debate historian. So if we're not going to have a second debate, we know there will be a third one. At least that is still on the table. It's supposed to happen in Nashville. Is there any expectation that it will be different somehow?</s>TALEV: I don't know. I think everybody - the two campaigns and the Commission are all scrambling now to figure out what's the right course. They all have different motives and different end goals. My instinct is there will still be this third debate. But I think you can't really count on anything anymore. And the idea that, we could go - we had a president being hospitalized, and now he's holding a large event at the White House and preparing to resume large rallies, is - just gives you a sense of, I think, how agile we have to be as journalists in figuring out how to cover this. But for voters, the window of time for the election is continuing. People are casting ballots as we speak. And all the uncertainty, I think, could be having an impact in terms of how people are voting and when they're voting.</s>PAUL: You mentioned what's happening today at the White House, these 2,000 guests that have been invited. We were just talking about that. There's also a newly scheduled rally for the President on Monday, in Florida in an airport hangar outside Orlando. We know that the President is trying to portray this picture that COVID is survivable, that it's beatable. But we cannot overstate for the 200 plus thousand families who are watching this, who have lost somebody. This is real, and it's hurtful there. There seems to be a sensitivity in the president that is missing when he talks about this. And I'm just wondering, what kind of support does the President have for these kinds of rallies and events at this time, from even people in his inner circle? Is he being supported by them?</s>TALEV: Yes, I mean, Christi there - the answer is twofold, because on the one hand, there are many White House staff who are concerned both about his health, about their health, and about the wisdom of continuing with these large-scale events. But nobody is really in a posture of trying to stop him at this point. He's the president. He's always set the rules and go his own way. And that's certainly what he's continuing to do. My colleague Jonathan Swan says this is comfort food for the president and that there's an understanding inside the White House that there's no point in trying to change his mind. The only thing to do is to try to make them as safe and successful from a political perspective as possible. But, I don't know anyone at the White House who thinks that the last several days have been wise strategically. The problem is that the president's so locked into this strategy of showing that he can survive coronavirus and the show must go on, that if he were to stop now, from a safety perspective, or a personal health perspective, from a political perspective, changing your message in the closing days of the campaign, it's probably too late to portray yourself as a new kind of candidate. It would - perhaps he sees it as just be a sign that that he was wrong. And that's something that he's not willing to do</s>PAUL: Kind of interesting take, because last weekend we were all kind of wondering if his messaging on this would change after being personally affected by it. Margaret Talev, always so grateful to have your voice in these conversations. Thank you for waking up with us.</s>TALEV: Thanks, Christi.</s>PAUL: Let's turn to our tracking of Tropical Storm Delta this morning. It's moving through Louisiana. Widespread heavy rain and flooding, the biggest threats, as it heads into Mississippi and other parts of the South this morning.</s>PAUL: That's what people were seeing there in the area. We're getting our first look at the damage from overnight too. More than 760,000 people in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi do not have power right now. More than half a million of those people without power are in Louisiana alone. And there are scenes like the one you see here, flooded neighborhoods and streets and you can see the wind and what that's doing with the water.</s>BLACKWELL: The damage left by Hurricane Laura, just six weeks ago. This is the fourth name storm to hit Louisiana this year. That is a record.</s>BLACKWELL: Let's go now to CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam. He is in Delcambre, Louisiana. And the sun's up there now, first shot we've had for you this morning with the sunlight. Is the water receding at all there?</s>DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, good question, Victor. And what you're looking at is indeed storm surge, and it is indeed receding. Good news. But of course, now that we have our first light here in Vermilion Parish, residents are starting to wake up, get out and assess the damage and the impacts of the flooding that has clearly occurred here. Of course, some people, more fortunate than others. Look at this house over my left shoulder, obviously on stilts, they'll be fine. Look at the home behind me. There's a submerged car, you can't see it. It's in its car garage at the moment. And of course, that home is taken on water. No one lives there. In fact, I've spoken to some of the residents down this road that I'm currently traversing. And they said in order to actually live in Delcambre, Louisiana, where I'm located, you have to have insurance that puts stilts on your home. That is the only way you can insure your house. Now, there were reports from some of the river gauges just upstream from here of seven to 10 feet of storm surge at the peak intensity of the storm. That is above normally dry ground, so of course that spills into the bayous and the canals around the area. And this particular region so prone to flooding, the residents here know it. Peak storm winds in Lake Charles, 96 miles per hour reported from the National Weather Service. There was a report in Texas of 100 mile per hour winds. And of course with rainfall totaling over 14 inches in some locations, it's no wonder that people are waking up to flooding and scenes just like this this morning. Of course, we'll get the full extent of the damage here in the coming hours.</s>PAUL: Let's hope everybody's OK. Glad to see that you and the crew are as well. Derek Van Dam. Live for us there in Louisiana, thank you. So yesterday, the United States reported more new coronavirus cases than it has in nearly two months. So right now, that means more than half the country is seeing a spike in cases. What does that mean for where we've been and where we're going with this pandemic? We'll talk about it.</s>BLACKWELL: Plus, we're learning some new details about one of the suspects, the FBI says, was involved in a plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan

Several Regions Sound Alarm As U.S. Reports Most Daily Cases In Nearly Two Months.

PAUL: Significant new warnings from health experts here in the U.S. The country's daily new COVID cases jumped to more than 57,000 yesterday. That's their highest level in nearly two months.</s>BLACKWELL: One infectious disease expert tells CNN that Florida is right for another large outbreak. And there are some trends across the country with only two states, Maine and Nebraska, reporting a decline in cases.</s>PAUL: And now there's a pretty frightening report from the "New York Times." It says the White House blocked what would have been the toughest federal mandate yet on stopping the spread of the virus. According to the paper, two federal health officials said that CDC drafted an order to make masks compulsory on public transportation. It had the support of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, but the White House Coronavirus Task Force led by Vice President Pence declined to even discuss it apparently. CNN's Polo Sandoval is in New York with the very latest public. Polo, good morning to you. What are you hearing this morning?</s>POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning to you. Back to those trends, consider that about 28 states this week saw an increase in their daily COVID cases this week over last, of course many of those in the Midwest, parts of the Northeast here. What you hear from the experts, in spite of that mixed messaging you're getting from the White House is, experts all agree that really the outlook for the future in terms of the fight against COVID is fairly grim.</s>SANDOVAL (voice-over): The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is out with a new warning, drawing another link between young people in some of the nation's COVID-19 hotspots. The CDC found positive test results generally started rising among people under the age of 25, about a month before a region was designated a COVID-19 hotspot. With the study, researchers are underscoring the need to address young people helping spark outbreaks. A local survey in one Wisconsin county showed young people worried they would feel weird or get out looks wearing a mask.</s>MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH & POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: It starts out first of all with college students coming back to universities and colleges and we're seeing substantial transmission there, which then is spilling over into the older adult population.</s>SANDOVAL (voice-over): This week, the U.S. posted its highest number of single day COVID cases in nearly two months. Only a few states, those in green, are reporting declines in new cases this week over last. In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine, predicting a very rough winter with both hospitalizations and the average age of patients edging up.</s>GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): Every single number is going the wrong way.</s>SANDOVAL (voice-over): In the Northeast. The moving average of new cases from September 8th to October 8th went up a staggering 91 percent. Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House's Coronavirus Task Force warns one possible reason is silent, asymptomatic, viral spread among families.</s>DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 TASK FORCE COORDINATOR: So the communities that are seeing uptick, please bring that same discipline that you're bringing to the public spaces into your household and really limit engagement with others outside of your immediate household.</s>SANDOVAL (voice-over): In parts of New York City's Queens and Brooklyn boroughs calls for compliance are growing amid an increase in COVID clusters. This week, members of Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods protested recent restrictions put in place to curb COVID-19 spread. Though virus vaccine is still in the works, one CDC official says, formal plans to distribute it once it's available are on target to meet an October 16th deadline in some states and in DC.</s>SANDOVAL: We mentioned those New York City's so-called hotspots zip code, those are seeing an average test positivity rate of about 5.4 percent compared to about 0.9 percent statewide here in the state of New York. Of course, that is not including those hotspot regions, Victor and Christi, that's one of the many reasons why you're seeing this scramble right now to get some of these COVID rapid tests in the hands of health professionals, pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, et cetera. They're sending in about 400,000 of those out this weekend.</s>BLACKWELL: Polo Sandoval thanks so much. Six men accused of being domestic terrorists. They make the first court appearance over a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor and start a civil war. Let's see what investigators say the alleged ringleader was planning the attack and why the lawyer for another suspect says his client had nothing to do with it.

Presidential Debate Officially Cancelled After Trump Refuses Virtual Format; President Trump Invites 2,000 People To Hear Him Speak From White House Balcony For First Time Since Contracting COVID-19; Delta Now A Tropical Storm As It Lashes Louisiana, Moves Into South

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do you think you got the virus?</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They had some big events at the White House. Perhaps there.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wants to have another White House event after the last one became a super spreader event.</s>JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He didn't take the necessary precautions to protect himself or others.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The faces of the men facing charges in an alleged domestic terror plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not a militia. It is a domestic terror organization.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hurricane Delta has slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hurricane This is the last thing that Southern Louisiana needs. Still blue tarps from the Hurricane Laura that came through not six weeks ago.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.</s>CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Beautiful shot of the Capitol this morning as we welcome you to this Saturday at 6:00 A.M.. You're up early and we're grateful for it. Good morning. You know, as many as 2,000 people could be at the White House today. President Trump is hosting his first public event since being hospitalized for COVID-19 symptoms.</s>VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Now, we have to talk about what we do not know. The White House has not released the results of the President's most recent test. Now, he says he took it yesterday. You're going to hear more of how the President describes his health a little later this morning.</s>PAUL: And this morning, that second presidential debate you've been waiting for, it's officially been canceled, President Trump refusing to debate Joe Biden virtually. We're going to tell you what the two candidates are planning next.</s>BLACKWELL: CNN's Sarah Westwood is following all the developments from the White House. Sarah, 2,000 people expected there today. Dr. Anthony Fauci called the last White House gathering a super spreader event. Tell us about this one.</s>SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. Just a few weeks, Victor and Christi, after an event that public health experts believe was the genesis of this outbreak that we've seen that has sickened the President and more than a dozen aides and allies of the President who were at that Rose Garden event, now we're going to have potentially hundreds of people on the South Lawn of the White House today. The President is set to deliver a speech from the balcony of the White House, so he may not be close to the crowd, but that crowd is going to be close to each other and the White House says that they are supposed to bring masks to those guests and that temperature checks will be performed, but that's the same sort of guidance that was given before the last event and obviously those measures proved unable to stop that from spreading. Now, the President has been very upbeat about his health since returning from Walter Reed. He's been delivering a number of lengthy phone interviews since he's been in isolation here at the White House. He's also been working in the Oval Office, though, and potentially exposing more of his staff and again, as you mentioned, the White House physician and White House aides have been quiet about when the President's last test was and whether he is, at this point, testing negative for the virus. On Monday, even though we don't know whether the President is still contagious, he is planning to go to Florida for a campaign rally. So hitting the trail, Victor and Christi, before we really know much about what the danger is to the people around him.</s>PAUL: You talk about some of the things President said last night. Has he said anything about where he believes he contracted the virus?</s>WESTWOOD: Well, Christi, we've heard the President speculate that perhaps where he contracted the virus was at an event honoring Gold Star families. There's been a lot of speculation about that, but again, CNN has reported that public health experts and including what we heard from Dr. Anthony Fauci have traced this outbreak back to the Rose Garden ceremony where the President nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett for that vacancy on the Supreme Court. So there's still a lot of unknowns and again, we have not heard much from the President's physician at the end of this week and we still really don't know a lot about the extent of this outbreak and where exactly the President may have contracted the virus.</s>PAUL: All right. Sarah Westwood, appreciate the update. Thank you.</s>WESTWOOD: Tthank you.</s>PAUL: So today, presidential candidate Joe Biden is heading to Erie, Pennsylvania for a campaign event. Last night in Las Vegas, though, he slammed President Trump over his plan to host thousands of people at the White House today as we've been talking about and he criticized the President's recent behavior.</s>BIDEN: His reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis, the destabilizing effect it's having on our government is unconscionable. He didn't take the necessary precautions to protect himself or others and the longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets. How can we trust him to protect this country?</s>PAUL: And as we said, the next presidential debate is canceled. The former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission told "The New York Times," quote, "In seven decades of televised ...</s>BLACKWELL: Yes.</s>PAUL: ... presidential debates, this is the first debate to be canceled. The loser is the American voter."</s>BLACKWELL: With me now to talk about all this, CNN political commentator Errol Louis. He is a political anchor for "Spectrum News" and host of the "You Decide" podcast. Errol, good morning to you.</s>ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the debate in a moment, but first I want to start with this event that's happening today, up to 2,000 people at the White House. We know that there's a rally scheduled for Monday in Florida. I'm wondering -- I mean, we know the health risks already, but what's the political benefit? The people who show up at Trump rallies who may show up here at the White House, they really don't attract undecided voters. So what's the risk-reward analysis here on why the President is doing this?</s>LOUIS: Yes. The President likes these rallies. He likes in-person events. You can see him visibly drawing energy from it and that's his preferred way of campaigning. So there's just a comfort level that I think he wants. Also in this digital age, Victor, you have to keep in mind that whatever happens on the White House lawn will be tiny compared to all of the different ways that it gets pushed out through social media, through rebroadcasts, through videos and so forth and it's a wonderful, majestic setting and that's why the President has staged so many events at the White House, including the concluding speech of the Republican National Convention. So he wants this sort of to be an image that is solidified in everybody's mind. We have not seen much of the President. He's done these phone interviews, but this is going to be a big pageant and of course CNN and every other news organization will have cameras there to show him from below on the balcony looking like the President of the United States. In the closing weeks for somebody who is stricken with coronavirus, that's a pretty good deal, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: So Caitlyn Collins reports that the White House says that when the President tests negative, they will report that. The President told "Fox News" yesterday that he has had a test. They've not reported the results of that. Safe to assume that the result was positive. No news conference from the White House physician Dr. Conley, not even a vague paper statement. I think it's important that we not kind of gloss over just how much is being concealed from the American people and the really lack of much useful information from that, quote, "medical evaluation" the President underwent yesterday.</s>LOUIS: Yes. Well, look, we're left to draw our own conclusions, but just from what you just described, I mean -- and we've seen this with Dr. Conley before where there'll be a pretty straightforward question, you know, did the President get oxygen? And then he'll say, well, he didn't get oxygen, you know, today or two days ago and then you have to sort of fill in the blanks, OK, he got oxygen yesterday. It's a silly kind of a game that these folks play. It has nothing to do with transparency obviously. They're sort of half concealing information that is not theirs to conceal. This is public information. This is vitally important public information, as a matter of fact, not just for political purposes, but from the point of view of running the government. So, you know, as long as they feel constrained to play these games, I would have to assume that it's the campaign leadership and/or the President himself who want to play these games. You know, don't say this, don't say that when, in fact, we can all sort of figure out that the President is a sick man and that he probably ought to be taking steps to get better.</s>BLACKWELL: All right. Let's talk to the debate now. First one cancelled, first presidential televised debate cancelled since they started. If it's going to look like the first one, what really was lost? Of course, voters deserve to hear from the nominees of the party, but what do you see is the significance of the cancellation?</s>LOUIS: Well, to me, the significance is twofold. First, it means that the President didn't think that he would be able to pull off a successful debate under those circumstances, primarily because when you're remote, there are producers, there are others who can simply cut your volume, who can sort of curtail some of the antics that we saw from the President as far as interrupting and bickering and trying to shut down any kind of conversation or break the flow of his opponent when Joe Biden was trying to speak. So that's kind of the first thing. The second, though, I think is that we don't know whether or not he's in any condition to do this. I mean, these audio interviews, these radio interviews we've seen over the last few days when he's calling into different news programs, you can hear him hacking, you can hear him coughing. He's clearly in need of some convalescence. He needs to sort of stand down for a minute and make sure that he can get himself better. I don't know that it was going to happen in time for that to be something that could be done even remotely. So, you know, it's something that we're going to -- we're going to be talking about for a long, long time, but in the end, the President did not want a regular debate. He didn't want it in person, he doesn't want it remotely, he doesn't want something that he can't control. I guess that's, on some level, understandably politically -- understandable politically, but again, very unfortunate for the public.</s>BLACKWELL: Let's turn to the House now. Speaker Pelosi back in this creation of a commission to determine whether the President can perform his duties. This is going nowhere in the Senate. Is this about substantively anything more than really needling the President and what does this do to those Democrats who will be on the ballot or are on the ballot, the vote comes in just a little more than three weeks, in purple districts, red districts who are still having to defend no progress on the rescue bill for coronavirus?</s>LOUIS: Well, look, I think it happens to be, as is often the case with Nancy Pelosi, something that is arguably responsible from a governmental point of view that also happens to pack a solid pro- Democratic political punch. I don't think anybody would lose a single vote or suffer any political damage by saying we should have more clear guidelines about how to move forward when we have a president who is sick, not clearly incapacitated but, you know, arguably on his way there and taking therapies that might affect and impair his judgment. So that's a responsible governmental function. On the other hand, look, we're three weeks out from election and everybody knows what Nancy Pelosi is doing here. She is, in fact, kind of needling the President a little bit, kind of sticking a knife in there. Will it help the folks who are in her conference? Of course, it will because they can always fall back on that first rationale and say, look, I'm just trying to do what's best for the country. We cannot have a commander-in-chief, we cannot have somebody in charge of the nuclear codes who might be sick, who is on his way being sick, who's taking treatments that will, we know, possibly impair his judgment. Those are real serious questions. This is not, probably, the right time and the right way to deal with them ...</s>BLACKWELL: Yes.</s>LOUIS: ... but at some point, we are going to have to deal with them, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: Errol Louis, always good to have your insight. Thank you, sir.</s>LOUIS: Thank you.</s>PAUL: You know, of course, we're tracking Delta this morning as well, a tropical storm now. It's moving through Louisiana, heading into Mississippi and the south this morning. There is widespread heavy rain and flooding that is still a big threat there.</s>BLACKWELL: Almost 730,000 people are without power in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi. More than a half million people in Louisiana alone lost power. Delta is also adding to the damage that people in the region are still trying to recover from. You can see the wind blowing, debris around in some neighborhoods. It's the fourth named storm to hit Louisiana this hurricane season right after Laura six weeks ago.</s>PAUL: CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has been watching this. What are you finding this morning, Allison? And good morning to you.</s>ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning to you both. Yes. The biggest threat going forward is going to be the rain and also the potential for tornadoes and we're not just talking along the Gulf Coast. Here's a look at where the storm is now. Tropical Storm Delta sustained winds of 45 miles per hour, starting to pick up speed ever so slightly to the northeast at just about 16 miles per hour, but it's no wonder, as Victor mentioned, the power outages. Look at some of these wind gusts. Texas Point picking up a wind gust of 100 miles per hour, but the other threat is going to be tornadoes. This is a tornado watch that is valid until 1:00 P.M. Central time, 2:00 P.M. Eastern time. It encompasses portions of Florida, Mississippi as well as Alabama. And that may actually spread out even more as we go through the day because this is the general threat area for both damaging winds and the potential for tornadoes today and that does include cities like Montgomery and Atlanta which are not on the coast, but it just goes to show you that's where the storm is going to go. It's going to continue to spread inland over the next several hours. Even cities like Nashville, Louisville, Charlotte still likely to get some pretty decent amounts of rainfall out of this system. Widespread total's about two to four inches, but there will be some spots that could pick up six, even 10 inches of rain and for some of those areas, keep in mind it's on top of what they've already had. Look at this. Iowa, Louisiana picking up 17 inches of rain already. Lake Charles picking up 15 inches of rain. So that's the other concern, too, is, folks, that it's going to be on top of what they've already had and that's going to be a big concern in terms of the flooding which is why you have that flash flood threat for multiple states here because, again, it's not only the rain that has already fallen, but now you have to factor, Victor and Christi, the rain that is on its way here that will pile up on top of that.</s>BLACKWELL: Piling up on top of it indeed. Allison Chinchar, thanks so much. We'll be checking in with Allison throughout the morning to get the latest on the effects of Hurricane, now Tropical Storm Delta. CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam has been there in Louisiana. He joins us now from Delcambre. Derek, what is -- what's it looking like now? How was it overnight?</s>DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Victor, good morning to you. You know, we are in Delcambre, Louisiana in Vermilion Parish. This is a area, a town that is no stranger to flooding and storm surge. It is a regular thing. We reported from this location yesterday and it's nice to come back and follow up and actually see that this forecast did, in fact, verify for this region. There are some homes that have clearly been retrofitted with stilts. They know that this area floods, but you can see just to my left that some of the homes, the older homes are inundated with some water at least into the first parts of their buildings there. So these people are all too familiar with these sites, especially when these stronger storms come in. We looked at some of the observing sites from the National Weather Service near Vermilion Bay just to our south. They had between nine and 10 feet of storm surge recorded at the height of the storm. The surge is moving out, the tide is going down, but you can clearly see that the water is still inundating some of the roads in this local town across the area. Quite a night indeed here in Delcambre, Louisiana, but in the meantime, Victor, Christi, we'll send it back to you in the studio.</s>PAUL: All right. Derek Van Dam, glad you and the crew are OK. Hopefully everybody else there is too. Thank you. So more than half the country right now is seeing a spike in coronavirus cases, more than 57,000 new cases, in fact, just reported yesterday alone and those field hospitals we used to see, they're back. The worry is that this is going to get worse.</s>BLACKWELL: Plus, the first group of men arrested in a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor and put her on trial make their appearance in court. We've got some new details about the case.

Rising COVID Cases Worldwide As U.S. Reports Most Daily Cases In Nearly Two Months And Europe Begins Putting Restrictions Back In Place

BLACKWELL: Twenty minutes after the hour. There are some new warnings this morning from health experts here in the U.S. after the country's daily new COVID cases jumped to more than 57,000. That was Friday. The highest level in almost two months.</s>PAUL: Yes. One infectious disease expert tells CNN Florida is, quote, "ripe for another large outbreak," unquote and there are alarming trends across the country in fact. Only two states, Maine and Nebraska, are reporting a decline in cases right now.</s>BLACKWELL: And now there's a worrying report from "The New York Times" that says that the White House blocked what would have been the toughest federal mandate on stopping the spread of the virus. According to the paper, two federal health officials said the CDC drafted an order to make masks compulsory on public transportation. It had the support of the secretary of health and human services, but the White House Coronavirus Task Force led by Vice President Mike Pence declined even to discuss it. Polo Sandoval is in New York with the latest for this morning. It seems the more we learn about this, the more that there is this obvious political inflection, influence on what we're seeing from the scientists and</s>HHS. POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And even though we're seeing some of that influence play out there, Victor, we are still hearing from some of those experts who are pointing to many of those developments that you just broke down for our viewers that's prompting certain warnings from officials. For example Dr. Deborah Birx, as you mentioned, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, making it very clear in her warning yesterday that now is the time to take action and some of those actions should extend perhaps into people's homes as people are interacting with some of those close friends and loved ones. As Dr. Deborah Birx says, it is important to take that action now before, as she put it, the virus takes off again.</s>SANDOVAL: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is out with a new warning, drawing another link between young people and some of the nation's COVID-19 hot spots. The CDC found positive test results generally started rising among people under the age of 25 about a month before a region was designated a COVID-19 hot spot. With the study, researchers are underscoring the need to address young people helping spark outbreaks. A local survey in one Wisconsin county showed young people worried they would feel weird or get odd looks wearing a mask.</s>MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH & POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: It starts out, first of all, with college students coming back to universities and colleges and we're seeing substantial transmission there which then is spilling over into the older adult population.</s>SANDOVAL: This week, the U.S. posted its highest number of single-day COVID cases in nearly two months. Only a few states, those in green, are reporting declines in new cases this week over last. In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine predicting a very rough winter with both hospitalizations and the average age of patients edging up.</s>GOV. MIKE DEWINE, (R) OHIO: Every single number is going the wrong way.</s>SANDOVAL: In the northeast, the moving average of new cases from September 8th to October 8th went up a staggering 91 percent. Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House's Coronavirus Task Force warns one possible reason is silent asymptomatic viral spread among families.</s>DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: The communities that are seeing upticks, please bring that same discipline that you're bringing to the public spaces into your household and really limit engagement with others outside of your immediate household.</s>SANDOVAL: In parts of New York City's Queens and Brooklyn boroughs, calls for compliance are growing amid an increase in COVID clusters. This week, members of orthodox Jewish neighborhoods protested recent restrictions put in place to curb COVID-19 spread. Though a virus vaccine is still in the works, one CDC official says formal plans to distribute it once it's available are on target to meet an October 16th deadline in some states and in D.C..</s>SANDOVAL: Here in New York City, some of those hot spot zip codes, as they're described here by health officials, seeing a test positivity rate about 5.4 percent compared to the statewide number, about 0.9 percent. That's excluding those hot spot regions. One of the main reasons why health officials this morning, Victor and Christi, are sending out almost 400,000 rapid response COVID tests to pharmacies, hospitals and other facilities as well. They know that obviously testing is key to try to keep that infection rate down.</s>PAUL: Yes. No doubt. Polo Sandoval, always grateful to see you. Thank you.</s>BLACKWELL: So Europe is now reporting more infectious -- infections, rather, than the U.S., India and China, the three worst hit countries in the world.</s>PAUL: CNN's international correspondents bring us up to date here.</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Melissa Bell in Paris. Here in France, another grim record set on Friday night. More than 20,000 new coronavirus cases declared for the preceding 24-hour period. It comes as four extra cities beyond Paris and Marseille enter the maximum alert category this weekend with all the fresh restrictions that come with that. Across Europe, it's a story that we've seen in several different countries. Fresh records set or at least fresh records since the spring and the first wave that hit Europe with fresh restrictions aimed at trying to drive those COVID-19 figures down and to give you an idea of how quickly things are moving, to take the positivity rate for instance here in France, it is now 10.4 percent. It was 5.4 percent just three weeks ago.</s>SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: I'm Salma Abdelaziz in London where the government is tackling a rise in coronavirus infections. In a single week, the number of cases more than doubled across England between September 25th and October 1st, this as the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson says they are considering their options and that a major announcement could come next week that could see tougher measures imposed, particularly in the north of the country which has been most impacted by the surge in cases. Now, there's been no official announcement, but local media reports indicate that pubs and restaurants in the north of the country could be closed as early as next week. That government announcement is expected to come with some sort of economic relief for businesses, but for right now, the priority is to stem the rise in cases. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said the country is in a perilous moment and must act quickly if it is to avoid a second wave.</s>BLACKWELL: And be sure to join Fareed Zakaria for an in-depth look at President Trump's impact on the relationships between the U.S. and its allies. "</s>HOW THE WORLD SEES AMERICA: A FAREED ZAKARIA SPECIAL" airs tomorrow night at 9:00 eastern right here on</s>CNN. PAUL: Six men accused of being domestic terrorists make their first court appearance over a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor and start a civil war. See where investigators say the alleged ringleader was planning the attack and why the lawyer for another suspect says his client had nothing to do with it.

Six Men Arraigned Before Court In Plot To Kidnap Michigan Governor.

PAUL: Well, six of the 13 men charged in this terror plot to kidnap Michigan's governor have been arraigned on multiple state terrorism charges now.</s>BLACKWELL: Federal and state officials say, the alleged domestic terrorist were coming up with this plan, elaborate plan to start a civil war. But an attorney for one of the suspects told CNN his client was not involved.</s>CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: He was not proud about what he's connected to?</s>PARKER DOUGLAS, ATTORNEY: Well, he had some confusion, and he's certainly not happy to be connected with what he's connected to. But you know, even reading through the complaint, I'm not sure on like what he's connected to yet. He -- the only thing he said to me was that he's a person who likes his privacy and supports the Bill of Rights, and that he doesn't really find that he belongs in one party or the other.</s>BLACKWELL: So, the men who is suspected of being the leader of the group lived in the basement of his vacuum store. He also worked there. CNN National Correspondent, Sara Sidner spoke with the store's owner.</s>BRIANT TITUS, BUSINESS OWNER: I hate to say I love the kid, but I'm mad right now. I'm just shocked, man. You help somebody out and then they pull that stunt.</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Briant Titus says one of the suspects in the alleged domestic terrorist plot was his employee. (on camera): The owner of this vacuum shop says Adam Fox lived here for the last couple of weeks. He says he lived behind this door and down into the basement. (voice-over): Down here with him, his dogs. One with an emotional support collar and a "don't tread on me" tag attached to it.</s>TITUS: He was in a militia and he got kicked out, so he started his own.</s>SIDNER: One of many things that you discussed, Titus says, he only became concerned when he noticed packages arriving for Fox. What was he getting from Amazon?</s>TITUS: Like MREs, food, stuff like that.</s>SIDNER: So, survival stuff that you'd like?</s>TITUS: Yes, you buying more like attachments for like an AR-15, and he was buying like food. And I'm not stupid. I was in the Marine Corps. So that, I told him he had to go.</s>SIDNER: But before he left, Fox and 12 others were arrested in FBI raids. We found several suspects ranting against the government online. One suspect calling President Trump an enemy.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, Trump is not your friend, dude.</s>SIDNER: Well, another had praise for the president, tweeting, "keep up the good work, chief. We the people love your work." The FBI says the alleged plot centered around a plan to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. These coronavirus restrictions have been railed against by armed groups at the Capitol. According to the complaint, they did surveillance on her vacation home. Two of the suspects discussed detonating explosive devices to divert police from the area. One suspect said in an encrypted chat, "the fear will be manifested through bullets." Fox allegedly responds, "copy that, boys, loud and clear."</s>GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): These are the types of things you hear from groups like ISIS. This is not a militia. It is a domestic terror organization.</s>DANA NESSEL, MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL: What we're seeing in Michigan right now is not just a Michigan problem, it's an American problem. And I think there's going to be more incidents to come.</s>SIDNER: A problem forewarned by Frank Meeink; a former neo-Nazi himself, convicted in the '90s for a politically-motivated kidnapping. I spoke to him days before the alleged Michigan plot was known to the public. (on camera): What's a scenario in this election that would create what you're calling the potential of a race war.</s>FRANK MEEINK, FORMER NEO-NAZI: I am telling you, this is going to happen. States like Michigan, states like Wisconsin, the northern states that have some wilderness area, there have been militias from other states training up there. They are waiting and hoping that something does go wrong because they want to hold up in them hills. And they want to say we don't want the federal government up here no more.</s>SIDNER: He says President Donald Trump's rhetoric has emboldened extremists. Whitmer agrees.</s>WHITMER: Of course, we know every time that this White House identifies me or takes a shot at me, we see an increase in rhetoric online, of violent rhetoric. And so, there's always a connection, and certainly, it's something we've been watching, but this took it to a whole new level.</s>SIDNER: In a slew of tweets, President Trump said he does not tolerate any kind of extreme violence. He then went after Governor Whitmer saying that she did a terrible job in dealing with the coronavirus crisis in her state. But the governor did what many governors have done to try to slow the spread of this deadly virus. Sara Sidner, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.</s>BLACKWELL: Sara, thank you. President Trump is inviting 2,000 people to the White House for a campaign event, we're going to talk about the lingering questions about how his health and his safety are holding up with such a large event and the health of those 2,000 people.

Can Joe Biden's Big Polling Lead Be Trusted After 2016 Polling?; Book: Did Hallucinogens Play Role In The Origin Of Religion?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN ANCHOR: Twenty-four days and counting. Time to crunch the numbers. I'm Michael Smerconish in Philadelphia. Poll after poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden with a commanding lead over President Trump both nationally and in key states and after days of unparalleled chaos surrounding the White House, there's a feeling that this thing is getting away from the President. As Peggy Noonan wrote for "The Wall Street Journal," quote, "This is also the week that journalists and politicos in Washington began wondering about something they never expected to be thinking about this year. They are wondering if November 3rd won't be a win for Joe Biden, but a blowout, a landslide in a polarized country that doesn't produce landslides anymore." OK, but let's catch our collective breath for a moment and go back four years. Initially, many outlets were predicting a landslide for Hillary Clinton. In the end, despite her shocking defeat, the national polls largely got it right. At the end of the 2016 cycle, the "RealClearPolitics" average had Clinton winning the popular vote by 3.2 percentage points and she did win the popular vote by 2.1 percentage points, but at this moment of 2016, these polls from October had Clinton up by the following margins. "NBC/Wall Street Journal" by 14, "Fox" said by 7, "CNN" by 6, Pew by 7. Those same polls today show Biden up by the following margins. "NBC/Wall Street Journal" by 14, same as in 2016, "Fox" by 10, "CNN" by 16, Pew by 10. Even Rasmussen Research, which many regard as right- leaning, showed Clinton ahead by 4 in 2016. Now they have Biden up nationally by 12 percentage points. But many Democrats are still traumatized by the polling missteps in 2016 which overlooked the strength of Trump's support in battleground states. So let's compare what the state polls said in 2016 and what they're saying now. Hillary Clinton lost Wisconsin by less than 1 percentage point, but a Marquette University Law School poll had Clinton up by 7 percentage points in October of 2016. That same Marquette poll now shows Joe Biden with only a 5-point lead. At this same point in 2016, Reuters/Ipsos had the Wisconsin race too close to call. 2020 Reuters/Ipsos has Biden by 6 in Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton lost Pennsylvania by less than 1 percentage point, but "The New York Times/Siena" poll had Clinton up by 7 in late October of 2016. That same poll right now has Biden up by 7. Also in Pennsylvania, a Quinnipiac poll had Clinton up by 5 percentage points in late October of 2016. Today that same poll shows Biden up by a much wider margin of 13 percentage points. Monmouth at this time in 2016 gave Clinton a 10-point lead in the commonwealth. Monmouth currently has Biden up 12 in Pennsylvania. Let's take a look at Michigan, another state that Hillary Clinton lost by less than 1 percent. At this exact week in 2016, Clinton led by 11 percentage points according to an EPIC-MRA poll. We don't have that same poll this year, but the most recent "NBC News Marist" survey of the state says it's Biden by 8. In 2016, Emerson had Clinton over Trump in Michigan by 7. Now Emerson has Biden winning Michigan by 10. How about Florida? Clinton lost those 29 electoral votes by about 1 percentage point. October 17, 2016, a Quinnipiac poll in Florida had Clinton edging Trump by 4 points. Currently, Quinnipiac says it's Biden by 11. And other states play an important role in the big picture. Trump won the state of Iowa by about 9 percentage points in 2016. The October Quinnipiac survey of Iowa had Clinton and Trump in a virtual tie. 2020 Quinnipiac has Biden leading by 5. Clinton edged out Trump in Minnesota by about 1 percentage point. SurveyUSA had Clinton with a 10-point lead in Minnesota. Now they say it's Biden by 7. And finally, Missouri. Trump walloped Clinton there by about 18 points. The "RealClearPolitics" polling average in 2016 had Trump up by 18.5. Pretty much spot on. Now the Missouri "RCP" average has Trump leading by 7. Here's the bottom line. Both the national and state polls are telling a similar story, one of Joe Biden holding a comfortable lead with just about three weeks until the final day of voting. There's not a single poll that I can point to either nationally or in a battleground state that reads differently. If there were, I'd show it to you. And yes, that sounds a lot like 2016, but the margins by which Biden leads Trump are, in some instances, larger than by which Clinton led Trump four years ago. Still it all comes down to turnout. I want to know what you think. Go to my website at Smerconish.com this hour and answer this survey question, do you trust the Trump versus Biden polls? After the 2016 election, pollsters conducted an autopsy to figure out what the heck went wrong. So did they do enough to avoid a 2016 repeat, especially given the uncertainty that voter turnout plays during a pandemic? Joining me to discuss is Courtney Kennedy, the director of survey research at Pew and the lead researcher of the 2016 autopsy done by the American Association for Public Opinion Research. Courtney, thanks so much for being here. Why the disconnect in 2016 between the accuracy of the national surveys and those done in the battleground states?</s>COURTNEY KENNEDY, DIRECTOR OF SURVEY RESEARCH, PEW RESEARCH CENTER: Hi, Michael. Well, the truth of the matter is that national polls tend to be done by pollsters with longer track records, more resources, more money to do good polling whereas state polls, on average, are done, you know, by your local TV station or your local newspaper. They have a lot less money and often they hire firms that don't have the resources or maybe the experience to get all those details right. And that's right, the committee I served on found a lot of factors that contributed to those state errors. Some of them were in the pollsters' control and others were not</s>SMERCONISH: I did a deep dive and so, too, did my terrific crew of all the data to try and figure out where are we today as compared to 2016. In looking at Florida, and I'll put this up on the screen just by way of illustration, the "RealClearPolitics" averages for Florida, I saw something that jumped off the page. One survey that was in the field the 1st through 5th of October said it's Biden by 11. Another said -- and they were in the field at the exact same time and I'm talking Quinnipiac and "USA Today/Suffolk" said no, it's a tie. Wow. A disparity. A tie versus 11 points and there's a lot of that out there in the state polling. I guess my question is how comfortable do you feel about 2020 prognostication as compared to 2016?</s>KENNEDY: Well, look, there's reason to be optimistic and there's still plenty of reason to be cautious. It is encouraging that a number of state-level pollsters have fixed some of the things that went wrong in 2016 and we have seen some pollsters, reliable national pollsters, answer the call that we need more and, frankly, higher quality polling done at the state level. And we see that in some states like Arizona and Michigan, the number of polls this year is double or more what we had to this point in 2016. So that's all to the good but, you know, we are still in the midst of a pandemic, polls will always have a margin of error associated with them and they're always just going to be a snapshot in time of how voters are feeling right now.</s>SMERCONISH: My "SiriusXM" radio listeners love to talk of a hidden Trump vote. In 2016, was there a hidden Trump vote or is it better explained by late deciders?</s>KENNEDY: I would say late deciders. So with the Trump vote, there's one thing that's real and that is that Trump exceeded expectations in turning out voters, especially rural voters, voters who had voted rarely, if ever, before he came along and that definitely threw pollsters because pollsters were looking back at the prior election, 2012, what were the turnout patterns there and Trump upended that, to his credit, right? He did succeed there. There's another notion of Trump voters that maybe they're taking polls, but they're not being honest. Maybe, you know, they're saying they're voting third party or they're not being honest about their support for Trump, you know, the shy Trump hypothesis and that has really been disproven over the last four years. There's been a lot of testing done about that and little to no evidence that that's a major concern.</s>SMERCONISH: Courtney, something that seems to fly in the face of all the information that I've already shown is recent data from "Gallup." Catherine, can you put that up on the screen? It's the, you know, age- old better-off question and when voters were asked whether they're better off now than four years ago, there it is, 56 percent said -- and this is amidst a pandemic -- that they're better off. How can that be squared with Donald Trump losing decisively to Joe Biden?</s>KENNEDY: Well, sometimes we see when people answer a question, you know, a question like that, Trump supporters know that, you know, Trump's their president and so they're inclined to give answers that are favorable, that say, you know what? Yes, I like how things are going. So they might not take that question literally, but they might instead be just, you know, kind of giving it an endorsement of the fact that Trump is their president, you know, and they really like that. So I think that could probably be part of it. That would explain, you know, a good 40 percent. It's hard to see how you get up to, you know, the north of 50 percent on that though. I agree, that's a little anomalous sounding.</s>SMERCONISH: And finally, Pew was just in the field and I think what differentiates Pew from all the other data that I've talked about is your sample size is 10,000. Give me one takeaway that you want people to know.</s>KENNEDY: Sure. So Biden supporters are not necessarily as enthusiastic about their candidate. You know, the support level is not as strong in terms of how much they love the top of their ticket as it is on the Trump side, but they're just as committed to vote for Biden. So we see different levels of enthusiasm, but basically the exact same level of commitment to vote for the candidate.</s>SMERCONISH: That was excellent. Thank you so much for being here.</s>KENNEDY: Thank you, Michael.</s>SMERCONISH: What are your thoughts? Tweet me @Smerconish or go to my website, my Facebook page. I'll read some responses throughout the course of the program. This, I think, comes from Twitter, "Smerconish, at this time four years ago, wasn't there a much greater percentage of likely voters undecided? it's hard to find any now." Mary, I think I'll answer that intuitively and not with data. I think that's true and something else that I think is significant is that, Libertarians and Green Party advocates won't like me saying this, but I think the reality, there's not the enthusiasm in this cycle that there was last time for Gary Johnson and Bill Weld or Jill Stein and therefore, you know, when you're Donald Trump and you're struggling to get to 50.1, with the benefit of third-party candidates, it makes your task a little bit easier. He really doesn't have the strength of a third-party ticket to assist him in that regard which I think is a a big factor. I want to know what you think. Go to my website at Smerconish.com and answer this week's survey question. Do you trust the Trump versus Biden polls? Up ahead, the President bailed on this week's debate because it would have been held virtually, but he did a two-hour virtual rally on Rush Limbaugh's radio program. What does that say about the synergy between talk radio and his political rise? And in the early 1990s, economists scoffed when a Pulitzer prize- winning journalist warned of coming income inequality. What does that journalist think about the economy today? Plus, you'll love this. Plato, Cicero, Marcus Aurelius and Jerry Garcia? A provocative new book says the founders of western civilization had something in common with the Kool-Aid Acid Test. They all did psychedelics. The author is here to explain.

Why Donald Trump Did Two-Hour Virtual Rally But Bailed On Virtual Debate

SMERCONISH: With just 24 days until the final day of voting, President Trump trails Joe Biden in most polls and thus needs to grab every possible opportunity to change that dynamic, yet this week he withdrew from next week's scheduled town hall debate, unhappy with the debate commission's decision to hold it virtually because of COVID concerns. Instead, he appeared on Friday on Rush Limbaugh's radio program for two hours, Rush Limbaugh to whom he awarded a medal of freedom at this year's State of the Union address. The host called it the largest virtual rally in radio history and his guest was equally complementary.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Why I can talk to you, Rush, the Great Rush, and you are the great one and I'm honored to know you, but I can talk to you and I can spell out all of the dishonesty and everything else and millions of people are listening right now.</s>RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO HOST, THE RUSH LIMBAUGH SHOW: They are.</s>TRUMP: I hope you have your all-time biggest audience.</s>SMERCONISH: To me, it marked things coming full circle. Let me explain. Donald Trump first flirted with running for president on the eve of the 1988 cycle. He traveled to New Hampshire for an event. It was October 22nd, 1987 at Yoken's Restaurant in Portsmouth, thar she blows, and by all accounts Trump wowed a standing-room-only crowd, then came the speculation that he would soon run for president. That didn't happen and contrary to what he said at the time, I don't think he'd have won if he tried in 1988 or '92 or '96 or the year 2000, 2004, 2008 or 2012. And yes, he told us he was thinking about running in each of those cycles, but by 2016, the timing was right. The political landscape had shifted, largely because of the rise of a partisan media. That began with Rush Limbaugh's syndication in 1988. At the time, there was no place for conservatives to get their news and entertainment and Rush Limbaugh filled that void. Over the ensuing three decades, the media landscape changed and ultimately, Donald Trump would be the beneficiary. By 2016, Republican primary voters, the most devoted of talk radio listeners and "Fox News" viewers, they were preconditioned. They were primed, they were ready to nominate a candidate who mirrored their favorite media personality -- entertaining, politically incorrect, a champion of outsiders -- and Donald Trump seized the mantle and he harnessed the power built by a polarized media, he capitalized upon the distrust in the mainstream media. As Harvard professor Thomas Patterson has written, "He was a road show version of a right-wing talk show." So of course he would prefer Limbaugh to an anchored debate. Joining me now to discuss is Brian Rosenwald. Brian literally wrote the book on this topic. It's called, "Talk Radio's America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States" and, for "The Washington Post," he just wrote a review of the first debate headlined, "Trump debated like a conservative talk radio host and that is why he failed." Hey, Brian, let's begin with what you wrote about the debate. Why did what Trump did yesterday with Rush work, but what he did on the debate stage not work?</s>BRIAN ROSENWALD, AUTHOR, "TALK RADIO'S AMERICA": It's all about the audience Michael. When talk radio hosts get out beyond the audience that's tuned in, looking for their usual, daily, you know, schtick, it ends up blowing up in their faces because the broader American public doesn't want outrageous content. They don't want, you know, caustic nicknames, they don't want someone sort of verbally rolling their eyes or screaming at people or cutting them off, whereas the person tuning in, they want that, they want to hear their values stuck up for, they want to hear someone who's fighting for them and Trump gives them that in abundance.</s>SMERCONISH: In other words, what Donald Trump, what President Trump did with Limbaugh yesterday, and I heard a great deal of it, it was -- it was very engaging, at parts, it was very entertaining, but when he tries to be that version of Donald Trump on a debate stage, it doesn't work. By the way, he has the ability to reign that persona in and we see it when he delivers State of the Union addresses.</s>ROSENWALD: Absolutely. He will do State of the Union addresses, he did his acceptance speech, he's reading off the teleprompter, you know, there might be a little ad libbing here and there, but it's mostly a traditional political speech. He understands that that broader audience expects that from him and that's, you know, what he should have done on the debate stage. Instead, you know, he told Limbaugh yesterday, well, I had to, Joe was lying, I had to cut him off but, you know, I should have just let him go because he's insane, he was losing it. I mean, this is the kind of thing that the Limbaugh audience is looking for and it is engaging. You didn't know what he was going to say. He went on for two hours without a commercial yesterday and, you know, he's got nicknames, he's blaming this person, that person, but when you do that for that broader audience, they're looking for something more serious and sober and substantive and he just didn't give them that.</s>SMERCONISH: You know, it was interesting, to me, the comments that he made. Actually, Catherine, I'm going to switch the list of the audio. I want to go to the "Fox" cut first. Here's something that he said yesterday about "Fox News" that I think you'll find interesting. Roll the tape.</s>TRUMP: You have such an incredible audience, so I can tell them about "Fox" being a big obstacle. It's a problem. "Fox" is a problem. When Roger Ailes ran "Fox," I mean, Roger had a very strong point of view. That's totally gone and I think it's influenced by Paul Ryan. He's on the board. I can't believe it. Here's a guy who failed as speaker.</s>SMERCONISH: When I heard President Trump bashing "Fox News" yesterday on Limbaugh's massive platform, I couldn't help but think if, in 24 days, this doesn't go his way, is this the next chapter for Donald Trump?</s>ROSENWALD: I think so. You know, he's got all the tools to hold the audience that he needs engaged and we shouldn't forget, Michael, that to have a great talk show, you need like 4 or 5 percent of the market and you get a huge audience that would please any host, but to win an election, you need 50 percent plus one or 270 electoral votes. You need a much broader audience and some people listening to that were nodding their heads on the air saying, yes, "Fox" is the problem, they're not complimentary enough, you know, it's only the good guys in prime time, but the broader audience, that sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory.</s>SMERCONISH: Brian Stelter's "RELIABLE SOURCES" newsletter yesterday had a pretty stunning paragraph in it drawing on Pew research data. I'm going to read you this. "A new report from Pew found that 90 percent of Republicans who only listened to 'Fox News' or talk radio as major sources of political news said the country has controlled the outbreak as well as it could. 'Fox' loyalists were also more likely to feel like the pandemic has been overblown. As of early September, among Republicans with only 'Fox News' and/or talk radio as major sources, 78 percent said the coronavirus has been made a bigger deal than it really is. Only small numbers of Democrats made similar assertions." The bottom line is the more you listen to "Fox" and talk exclusively, the more you think this whole COVID-19 subject has been blown out of proportion. Your final thought?</s>ROSENWALD: That's absolutely true and those numbers went down precipitously if you consult other sources and Limbaugh and Trump, they're speaking to that audience, they're speaking to the folks who are only watching "Fox," who are only listening to talk radio and who want exactly what Trump is giving them, but that doesn't get him to a majority of the electorate, that doesn't get him to swing voters and frankly, Michael, he'd be better off coming on this show than the blitz he's done on conservative media because I don't think he reached a single undecided voter With Kennedy and Lithium (ph) and Rush ...</s>SMERCONISH: Well, I said that by Twitter -- I said that by Twitter yesterday. Brian, I said -- I said on Twitter yesterday, Mr. President, you'd be better off reaching my Independent audience than the votes you already had because, frankly, you need the people who watch or listen to my show. Anyway, thank you for being here. Your book, you know I believe, is terrific.</s>ROSENWALD: My pleasure, Michael. Always happy to do it.</s>SMERCONISH: Let's see what you're saying via my Smerconish Twitter and Facebook pages. This comes from Facebook I think, "No one is listening to Rush unless they are already voting for Trump." David, that's true, but Rush Limbaugh has completely supplanted the role that used to be played by the Republican party and so therefore, I totally get it. It was politically wise for Trump to go for two hours with Rush. It was a GOTV, get out the vote effort. This is the way you mobilize the base. No, as I just said to Brian Rosenwald, you're not going to win new converts, but you are going to enthuse those that you need to get out there on Election Day. I want to remind you, go to my website at Smerconish.com. Are you answering the survey question? I hope so. Do you trust the Trump versus Biden polls? Up ahead, inequality in America is worse than ever. According to the Federal Reserve -- listen to this -- just 59 Americans, 59, own more wealth than the poorest half of the country. My next guest earned the wrath of economists when, in the early 1990s, he said this was going to happen. And did the founders of western civilization do psychedelics? A provocative new book says yes and the author is here to explain.

Is The Economic Crisis Snowballing?

SMERCONISH: Back if the early '90s, two Pulitzer Prize winning "Philadelphia Inquirer" reporters went to number one on "The New York Times" best-seller list with their newspaper series turned book. It was called "America: What Went Wrong." Their analysis of patterns among working class people, vanishing jobs, diminishing health care, fading pensions was revelatory and at times controversial. Economists disagreed when they warned of growing income inequality. Well, in fact, new Federal Reserve data just released shows that just 59 Americans own more wealth than the poorest half of the country. One early adherent to their work was then presidential candidate Bill Clinton who waved their book on the campaign trail when discussing the economy. One of the key takeaways of the book that macroeconomic information like unemployment numbers often don't tell the full story of what's going on at the bottom of the economic ladder. Twenty-four years later, another presidential candidate Donald Trump rode some of their criticism of free tray to populous victory. So, what do the authors thing now? This year Jim Steele and Don Barlett updated their work and published "America: What Went Wrong? The Crisis Deepens." And Jim Steele joins me now. So, Jim, you warned of a two-class society and you got blowback from the economists who said, no, this is just creative destruction. What is it that you saw that they didn't?</s>JAMES STEELE, CO-AUTHOR, "AMERICA: WHAT WENT WRONG?</s>THE CRISIS DEEPENS": One of the things we saw, Michael, was that tax policies which were enacted in the '80s were creating income inequality. Some of the economists said that we were alarmists. And in fact there's actually a funny story about this. Our young daughter at the time read one of these criticisms and somebody called us -- aren't these guys Cassandras? And our daughter looked at us and said, Cassandras? Well, dad, wasn't Cassandra right? And the fact of the matter is I think</s>SMERCONISH: When I think -- when I think of the book, I always think of Vise Grip. What's the short version of Vise Grip and what was the bigger lesson?</s>STEELE: Vise Grip was a little company in Nebraska where a gentleman had invented this tool that almost every household has. And he had working people there in Nebraska in the surrounding countryside that produced a good product. They shipped it a around the world. And then one day a big conglomerate bought it. Closed the plant and shipped the work to China where in the beginning the work was very inferior. But the point about this being here were people who had done all the right things. They had even taken extra training, they had provided jobs for families, there were benefits for people. Suddenly all of that was out the window. And that was the story of a lot of industries in the '80s and '90s and beyond and still goes on. And that's why the book which we've updated (ph) and expanded really is in many ways so relevant today because all of these forces are still with us and growing more intense.</s>SMERCONISH: Well, free trade wasn't working for Vise Grip. And someone who would ride a message like that to victory was Donald Trump, right?</s>STEELE: He did. And Trump, I think, correctly realized some of the flaws in free trade. However, the way he has gone about this policy which has been this sort of blanket condemnation of China is not working. What he should have done, he should have linked arms with the Europeans. He should have linked arms with other Asians. Because what China is doing, it's doing to everybody. And a lot of their practices are indeed very, very unfair. And not just to the American industry but the industries all over the world. But you can't go it alone on something like this. You need to be part of that larger world family. And I think if he had done that there might have been some changes. The trade policy with China has been an abysmal failure. Ask the farmers in the Midwest, ask a lot of people in small companies who can't get certain supplies now, certain equipment, there's been a lot of bluster on that. Look at Foxconn is the great Chinese company out of Taiwan that makes a lot of Apple products in mainland China. They were going to put a plant in Wisconsin. There was a big to do about this, big news releases. Go to that plant today and the last news release I've seen about it was basically empty. So that's like a --</s>SMERCONISH: But you do have to say -- Jim, you do have to say that they've been picking our pocket for decades including on intellectual property. And finally --</s>STEELE: Yes.</s>SMERCONISH: -- at last there's been blowback to that. I have to ask you, because I'm limited on time, the most important question of all. Is it too late?</s>STEELE: No, it's not too late. We've had other times in this country where we've come together to help people when they're in trouble, whether it was the Pure Food and Drug Act, taxation issues, security issues. Look at Medicare in the '60s. Where would we be in this country today if we didn't have Medicare in terms of older people? Social security. All of those things were fought bitterly by people who thought the government shouldn't have any role in it. That shows you what can happen and it's very important. We can do that again. We just have to have the will to do it. I think the majority of people want that, but so far, they've been blocked in Congress. And if that changes I can see a much brighter future for America.</s>SMERCONISH: Barlett and Steele, ahead of their time. Thank you so much for being here.</s>STEELE: Always great to be with you, Michael.</s>SMERCONISH: I want to make that sure you're answering the survey question this hour at Smerconish.com. Do you trust the Trump versus Biden polling data? I laid it all out at the beginning of the program. Still to come, you're going to love this. Was the original Eucharist a psychedelic? A provocative new book says yes, and the author is here to explain.

Biden Stumps In Battleground PA As Trump Hosts Packed WH Event; Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) Is Interviewed On Her Take On President Trump's Decision To Hold Crowded Event On The South Lawn

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I am Wolf Blitzer in Washington. This is a special edition of THE SITUATION ROOM. Now, we begin tonight 24 days from the U.S. presidential election and with images from an event for President Trump that in a normal election year might have actually seemed ordinary, but with the United States now potentially facing a second deadly wave of the coronavirus, those images seem nothing short of reckless right now. Yesterday, the nation saw its highest single day number of positive cases since mid-August, over 57,000 confirmed cases. But while it would seem to be a time for caution, take a look at this. This was the scene at the White House earlier today where President Trump hosted hundreds of supporters for what the White House denied was a campaign event even as the President opened his remarks by saying his supporters needed to vote his opponents quote, "into oblivion." The event packed in hundreds of people most wore face masks, but there was absolutely no social distancing. They heard from a President who himself is still fighting the virus, one day after that same virus claimed another 990 American lives in only one day. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is joining us right now. Jeremy, it supposed to be -- it wasn't supposed to be, I should say a campaign event. It clearly sounded like a campaign event even though the President spoke relatively briefly.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No question, Wolf. Listen, the White House insisted that this was an official White House event. They organize it by bringing in participants from the Blexit Movement, which aims to attract African-Americans who overwhelmingly vote Democratic over to the Republican Party. And Wolf, it was very clear from the President's remarks, from the hundreds of people wearing Make America Great Again hats that this was a campaign event, pure and simple. The President making overtly political remarks, and especially focusing on this message of law and order, which we know is a central theme of his reelection campaign. Listen to some of that just from earlier today.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Every day, more black and Latino Americans are leaving behind left-wing politicians and their failed ideology. [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]</s>TRUMP: That's what they are. They failed for many years and many, many decades, Democrats have run nearly every inner city in America, and I mean for a hundred years, and their policies have delivered nothing but calamity, poverty and trouble.</s>DIAMOND: And Wolf, the President went on to claim once again falsely that he has done more for black Americans than any President since Abraham Lincoln, which if you just look at the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act of '64 and '65, you would know that that claim is false. Now, Wolf, of course, what was so striking about this event was the fact that you see hundreds of people there just two weeks after that super spreader event in the Rose Garden at the White House, this time most people were indeed wearing masks, but the C.D.C. says mask wearing is no substitute for social distancing. You should be doing both of those things, instead, the White House holding this large gathering with hundreds of people tightly packed together an event that even the C.D.C. calls a high-risk environment for spreading coronavirus.</s>BLITZER: You'd think the White House, Jeremy, would want to set an example for the rest of the country and not show these kinds of events happening on the South Lawn. Especially as you pointed out what happened at that super spreader event a couple of weeks ago at the Rose Garden. The President, as we know is now scheduled also to head to Florida on Monday for another campaign rally. He has more events planned for later in the week. What are you hearing about this move to get back on the campaign trail, even though we don't know for sure he is no longer contagious?</s>DIAMOND: That's right, Wolf, and we know the President is down in every poll that matters, whether it is national polls or those polls in those critical swing states. The President is losing this election right now and he is itching to get back on the campaign trail, seeing it really as his only chance to perhaps salvage his re-election prospects and he is heading to a trio of battleground states early this week. But Wolf, the White House so far has refused to say whether the President has tested negative for coronavirus. The White House Communications Director, Alyssa Farah saying earlier in the day that they would release that once they have it. But Wolf, it's 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and so far we have heard nothing from the White House or from the President's medical team to see whether he is going to be cleared for that campaign schedule, which of course the campaign has already announced on his website -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: And, I mean, it's been since last Monday or so, since the last time we heard from the President's doctor directly answering reporters' questions, right?</s>DIAMOND: That's right, Wolf. All we have seen so far has been these memos that Dr. Conley has released to the White House Press Secretary who in turn has shared them with us, but we know, Wolf, that there have been very few details, and in fact, when they do decide to share details, that's because they're favorable to the President's condition. But a number of questions still out there, Wolf, about exactly the details of the President's medical condition at this hour -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Yes, I guess the President, Jeremy still believes in what he said when he emerged from Walter Reed, from the hospital. He said, "Don't be afraid of COVID. Don't let it dominate your life." And that's what he is going by right now. Jeremy Diamond, we will get back to you. Thank you very much. It's been just two weeks since that White House gathering marketing the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. This week, Dr. Fauci specifically called that Rose Garden event, a super spreader event. Let's discuss this and more with CNN medical analyst, Dr. Leana Wen, an ER physician, former Health Commissioner of Baltimore; also joining us, Dr. Peter Hotez, Professor and Dean of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Wen, will we be looking back, let's say 10 days from now, 14 days from now, taking a look at those hundreds of people who had gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. Yes, almost all of them were wearing masks, but they were very close, tight together for quite a while. Is it -- is there a potential this event could turn out to be yet another super spreader event?</s>DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Absolutely, Wolf, it's certainly something that is possible, although I certainly hope that it will not be the case. Look, this type of event flies in the face of every aspect of public health guidance. First of all, the White House should not be holding any events right now. There are dozens of individuals within the White House who are infected. If this were a business or school, it would be shut down. Second of all, we shouldn't be having rallies or gatherings of this kind of size anywhere. We have cases across the U.S. that are surging. We should not be having crowds of people getting together with no physical distancing. And I sincerely hope that all those who are attending events like this will quarantine themselves when they return home so that they won't affect others around them and get tested.</s>BLITZER: So they won't infect their family or their friends, or others. You're absolutely right. You know, Dr. Hotez, I want you to look at the video today, both President Trump and Vice President Pence at very crowded campaign events, appearing to put their re-election before the health of their own supporters, so many of their supporters were there. What's your reaction to that, Dr. Hotez?</s>DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Well, you know, his physician and the President have decided that after I think nine days or just about 10 days, to go ahead and be out in public and remember where that 10-day period comes from, the original recommendation from the World Health Organization was, you want to have two negative tests, 24 hours apart. They changed that towards the end of May in order to accommodate the reality that testing was not widely available. But if you read their statement closely, it says, for individuals who are in high risk environments, which would include individuals who are interacting with lots of people, they would still recommend trying to do the testing, if at all possible. So I hope that his physician and the President have decided that they're doing those tests 24 hours apart and they are both negative before he is out and about and interacting with people as extensively as he is and certainly in the campaign trail, because he still could be shedding virus and of course, his entourage, there's enormous amounts of transmission, as Dr. Wen has pointed out, and a lot of people infected. So it's not just the President out on the campaign trail, it's a lot of people who could be carrying the virus as well, so this is not a time to be reckless.</s>BLITZER: And reckless is the key word. You know, Dr. Wen, you look at the crowd, so many young African-Americans, so many young Latinos were there. I'm really worried about them, especially since if we take a look at the overall numbers, African-Americans and Latinos, they are more susceptible for whatever reason to this deadly coronavirus.</s>WEN: That's right. We know that this coronavirus pandemic has affected populations unevenly and it has unmasked underlying health disparities and exacerbated them. And tragically, these same patterns of increased hospitalizations and deaths among African-American, Latino-Americans, and Native Americans, it is actually also married in children. Nearly three quarters of all the deaths that have occurred among kids are among black and brown kids. And so this needs to be urgent. I mean, there needs to be an urgent call to action for everyone. But I wish the President today, what he could have done, instead of holding this rally, if you really wanted to address this issue, he could have announced for example, testing programs that would specifically target communities that are under resourced right now. He could institute worker protections. He could help with food security. He could bridge the digital divide. I mean, there are all kinds of tangible actions the President can take in order to address this issue specifically that's facing black or brown communities across the U.S.</s>BLITZER: You know, and Dr. Hotez, the White House continues to sidestep questions about when the President last tested negative for coronavirus. Why is that so critical to have that specific information?</s>HOTEZ: Well, I think it's important right now we need to know it because even though he is reaching that 10-day mark, he still could be shedding virus. Remember that range of 10-days, it's really a range. It is if you look at the actual numbers, it's zero to 20 days especially for individuals who potentially had severe illness as the President might have before he received his treatment. So he still could be potentially shedding virus and that's a concern, and we don't know exactly when that super spreader event two weeks ago, how it began. They never allowed contact tracing in from the Centers for Disease Control. And remember, Wolf, this is happening at a time when we're starting again, to see a rise in the number of cases. We've hit that 50,000 new case mark. It looks as though, which is very concerning. I'm worried about a terrible fall surge especially we're already seeing that in the northern states. We could be in for a horrible fall in winter. And to not be emphasizing that and taking that seriously really gives me pause for concern.</s>BLITZER: Yes, it's so worrisome, the I.H.M.E. model that just came out, Dr. Wen, says there could be close to 400,000 -- four hundred thousand deaths here in the United States from coronavirus by February 1st, unless tough decisions are made. Do you see those tough decisions being made right now where about 214,000 Americans already have died over these past seven months?</s>WEN: We're seeing some policymakers do the right thing and implement mask mandates and even dialing up these restrictions once they see the case numbers headed in the wrong direction, but I am really concerned about where we are as a country. We have increasing number of cases. Our hospitalization rates are rising. And I have to say, when people make decisions for themselves about increasing their own risk, that's one thing, but these decisions affect everyone else as well. If hospitals will come too full, and individuals with heart attacks or in car accidents also may not be able to get healthcare. And because this is a highly contagious disease, if decide to do something that's risky, you're also committing others to a sacrifice that they themselves did not make. I hope that we will all see this as a time that we have to be in this together, do the right thing for ourselves and our family members: wear masks, practice physical distancing, avoid crowds, and in so doing, we're also helping everyone around us as well.</s>BLITZER: You would have thought the President would have learned some lessons, given his own experience with COVID 19. That doesn't seem to be the case. So Dr. Wen, thank you very much. Dr. Hotez, thanks to you as well. And to our viewers, mare sure to tune in later tonight, right after THE SITUATION ROOM for a CNN Global Town Hall: Coronavirus Facts and Fears hosted by our own Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. It starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Five former members, chairs of the C.D.C. will be with Sanjay and Anderson. Despite nearly a thousand American deaths from the coronavirus just yesterday alone, the President is planning to hold campaign rallies in three states, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. We're going to talk about that and more very disturbing developments unfolding right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Former Pandemic Preparedness Chief Predicts Explosion Of COVID-19 Cases

BLITZER: Two weeks ago, the White House was the site of a super spreader event in the Rose Garden. Today's gathering was even bigger, again, with no social distancing. The event was purportedly aimed at Black and Latino-Americans, two groups that have been hit hardest by the pandemic here in the United States. Our Senior Political Commentator, David Axelrod is joining us right now. So David, the President actually told the hundreds of mostly young people who gathered on the South Lawn of the White House right below him, he was up on the Truman balcony. He actually said that the coronavirus is quote, "disappearing." He used the word "disappear." What do you make of that?</s>DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it was kind of a COVID-palooza over there at the White House. Listen, Wolf. It is in conceivable to me why he thinks this is helping him. One of the reasons he is in the predicament he is in, and he is you know, 10 points or better behind in the race right now is because of the way he has handled the coronavirus and the dismissal of it and the denial of it and the downplaying of it for so many months. And now, he is downplaying it even in the midst of his own illness and in this burgeoning second wave that appears to be on us, and it is only making his situation worse, but I think the President is panicked by these poll numbers. He knows that time is coming -- is running short. And he, you know, is hoping to impose his will on the situation, but he is digging himself into a deeper hole here.</s>BLITZER: You know, the former pandemic preparedness chief, Dr. Rick Bright, you know, David, he resigned this week over the President's coronavirus response. I want to play something very alarming. He told her own Jake Tapper on Thursday. Listen to this.</s>DR. RICK BRIGHT, FORMER PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS CHIEF: This winter, we're going to have an explosion of cases of coronavirus. This winter we're going to have an explosion of influenza infections and other respiratory infections. It is going to overwhelm our healthcare system again. We still don't have enough personal protective equipment for our doctors and nurses. We still don't have enough tests. We're still not doing enough testing.</s>BLITZER: And the President says the coronavirus is disappearing. What's your reaction when you hear Dr. Bright, who spent his lifetime, professional life dealing with these issues?</s>AXELROD: Yes, you know, I had a chance to sit down with the epidemiologist at the University of Chicago where I worked a couple of days ago, and she said the same thing. This is I think, consensus among public health experts and for the President of the United States to say that it is disappearing is borderline criminal, Wolf. And, you know, and it doesn't -- and it flies in the face of the experience that Americans are having right now. So, you know, again, I think that he -- you know, I've said from the beginning, he is trying to spin crisis rather than confront the crisis, and he is just doubling down on it now at a critical time for the country and a critical time for himself.</s>BLITZER: I keep coming back to the words he said when he walked out of the Walter Reed Military Medical Center. He said, "Don't be afraid of COVID. Don't let it dominate your life," which was pretty shocking then, you look back on those words, you see the numbers as they are escalating right now horribly, you wonder what he was thinking then. Despite the warnings that that we've heard from all of the experts like Dr. Bright, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx, and everybody else, the President will hold several political campaign rallies this coming week. In addition to these events being a health risk, do you think they will actually hurt the President's re-election bid? Politically speaking, how do you think this is going to play out with 24 days to go?</s>AXELROD: I really do, because it just underscores that he is not taking the situation seriously, and you know, he is now, as of today and polling today, he has reached a new low in the way the public rates his handling of the crisis, just as the crisis is welling up again. So I do think it'll hurt him. But you know, Wolf, that he first of all craves those events. We know that he loves the adoration of the crowds and he has a belief that this is how he got elected President by conducting these kind of rallies, and the absence of them is hurting him in this race. Now, the irony is he could have spoken to an audience of 70 million to 75 million people on Thursday, if he had agreed to a virtual format. But he didn't want to do that, because that would have acknowledged that he had the virus and that the virus was a problem and he didn't want to underscore that point. So he is in this mad spiral and he doesn't seem to have any desire or knowledge about how to get out of it.</s>BLITZER: Yes, 24 days to go until November 3rd, the election, but millions of Americans are voting right now. Early voting is going on in so many states right now. David Axelrod, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it very much. We're going to bring you more on the coronavirus developments, all the late breaking developments in just a few moments. But we're also learning new details right now about that foiled terror plot against the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer and the men that allegedly we're behind it. Stay with us, you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Infected Trump To Hold Rallies In Florida, Pennsylvania And Iowa Next Week

BLITZER: With just 24 days to go until the election here in the United States, Democratic presidential nominee, the former Vice President Joe Biden is making a big pitch to voters in Pennsylvania. That's of course a key battleground state. CNN's Jessica Dean is on the ground for us in Erie, Pennsylvania right now. Jessica, what's the message that the former Vice President is delivering there today?</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the message here today was heavily centered around the economy. It's a message we've heard from Vice President Biden going to Scranton versus Park Avenue really framing this race as he being from Scranton, understanding the working men and women of the country and that President Trump is only looking out for himself and millionaires and billionaires. And that was the message that he brought here to Erie, Pennsylvania. It is in Erie County, which was won ever so slightly by President Trump back in 2016, and it's just the kind of place that Vice President Biden and his campaign think that they can win back with this message on the economy and with Joe Biden delivering it with his roots in Scranton, with working class voters. Biden also had some very strong words about voting itself. Take a listen.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: But here's the deal, guys. We've got to go out and make sure you vote. Because the only way we lose this is by the chicanery going on relative to polling place. This whole idea, not a single solitary, reasonable person in either party has said mail-in ballots are corrupt. No evidence, but he is trying to make it sound that way. Trying to put people in polling places, the same guys you saw standing, blocking people's way in Virginia, with banners and rifles slung across their shoulders. Folks, it's not who we are.</s>DEAN: Again, Joe Biden trying to draw a contrast between himself and President Trump on every issue from the economy to how voters should be approaching the polls. And then also, of course, Wolf, to COVID. The COVID response has been central to Joe Biden's campaign and that continues. This comes as, of course, President Trump had that event at the White House today and we heard the strongest rebuke from Vice President Biden of Trump since his COVID diagnosis, calling him reckless yesterday at a rally, at an outdoor rally, drive-in rally in Las Vegas, Nevada -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right. Jessica, thank you. Jessica Dean in Erie, Pennsylvania for us and they were truly stunning scenes at the White House today, hundreds of people, mostly young people, not socially distanced, gathered very close together to hear the President speak, even though the CDC's guidelines specifically cite that events in Washington, D.C. should not exceed 50 people. Joining us now the Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. Congresswoman Dingell, thanks so much for joining us. We got lots to discuss, especially what's going on in your state of Michigan. But what's your reaction, first of all, to the President's decision to hold this crowded event on the South Lawn of the White House?</s>REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D-MI): I like Joe Biden's word of reckless. I try to remain civil as you know, but I have been in just a steady seeds (inaudible) all week. His irresponsibility of leaving that hospital and putting other people at risk just to waive at his supporters, but then when he returned to the White House, knowing he was infectious, ripping off his mask. He is a leader. People listen to him. They follow him. He is responsible for thousands of deaths, because he doesn't wear the mask. He doesn't listen to the science. He doesn't listen to the doctors. And this week he's just - I am so - I really am angry just in case you can't tell.</s>BLITZER: I can tell.</s>DINGELL: The irresponsibility of it all really - I wish it left me speechless. Unfortunately, it doesn't.</s>BLITZER: Yes, yes. You reflect a lot of opinion out there. Let's talk about this terror plot, this alleged terror plot we should call it to actually kidnap your Governor, Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Here she is, not mincing any words at all in discussing the President. Listen to this.</s>GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): Just last week, the President of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups. Stand back and stand by, he told them. Stand back and stand by. Hate groups heard the President's words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, as a call to action. When our leaders speak, their words matter.</s>BLITZER: The President went on attack, himself, tweeting in part, I'll read it to you, Congresswoman. "Gov. Whitmer of Michigan has done a terrible job. She locked down her state for everyone except her husband's boating activities. I do not tolerate any extreme violence." You would think that a sitting governor of any state, especially a big state like Michigan, if there's a plot to kidnap the Governor, the President would call up, say, what can we do. Yes, the Justice Department was involved in this investigation, the U.S. Attorneys, the FBI. But what do you think of that rhetoric that we see coming out of the President right now as far as Gov. Whitmer is concerned?</s>DINGELL: Wolf, I myself have been the target of some of the President's venom and you don't know, you cannot understand what it is like to be in the middle of that, I'm not even sure of the word to use, when he goes after to you. And I actually want to say that I think that this is broader than the President. I mean, he has given people license to do some of this activity and I do want to say that the FBI did help the Governor, we need to thank all of law enforcement that thwarted that plan and it's an example of a good job that they do when they really did. But there are people that need to - their hearts are hardening, they just don't care. They're ignoring what's happening in our country and we can't do that. It's all of our responsibility. So when people just want to ignore it or not vote as Joe Biden talked about today, it's not OK. So yes, the President has probably been encouraging some of this but I think all of us have to take responsibility for speaking up and speaking out. And looking at social media and the license it's given to people, the bully and the ugly rhetoric (inaudible) the vitriolicness. We all need to take a look at what's happening around communities.</s>BLITZER: Yes. Because I remember back in April the President tweeted, let me put it up on the screen. These two words and it was pretty ominous at the time, liberate Michigan. I take it Congresswoman, you've received some threats yourself, if you can, share with our viewers what's going on in Michigan right now, not only the alleged plot to kidnap the Governor, but I assume others are being targeted as well.</s>DINGELL: It's probably best not to talk about it at all on cable. But I have had militia in front of my house with assault weapons and you've seen the State Capitol where there were men with assault weapons up in the galleries while the legislature was meeting. And quite frankly, I do not understand why assault weapons are allowed in the state capitol, everybody not getting together and banning them. There's a lot of anger out there. We could disagree with each other agreeably, that would bring civility back. I'll tell you, it's disturbing what's happening, but we all have to take some responsibility for it. We have to say, this isn't who we are. It's time for us to come back together. We're not each other's enemies. We are Americans first.</s>BLITZER: And then we're showing our viewers some pictures of what was going on in the State Capitol. You could walk into the State Capitol in Michigan armed with an AR-15 or any other weapon, loaded, that weapon is loaded. I was speaking with your Attorney General yesterday and she told me you can't go into the state capitol with a sign because that might damage the wall, but you could go in with a loaded weapon. There's something wrong with that image that we're seeing right now. Congresswoman Dingell, good luck over there. Be careful. We'll stay in close touch. Thanks so much for joining us.</s>DINGELL: Thank you.</s>BLITZER: Twenty-four days until the election here in the United States and millions of ballots have already been cast, but President Trump is continuing to sow doubt over the integrity of the upcoming U.S. election. We have details new information. That's next.

Trump's False Claims, Ballot Rules, Cyberattacks Stoke Concern.

BLITZER: President Trump this week spread more false claims about voter fraud as his campaign ramps up calls for supporters to become poll watchers. Election Day officials worry it will lead to voter intimidation. Also, new ballot rules and key battleground states and cyber attacks are stoking concerns about the election here in the U.S. CNN's Abby Phillip has more.</s>CEDRICK BROWN, DETROIT VOTER: I'm not comfortable sending my ballot through the mail. I'd rather just come in and drop it off.</s>ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As millions of voters begin casting their ballots in person or by mail, the Postal Service acknowledging in court documents that there has been a significant drop in first class on time mail delivery. The USPS saying it will increase staffing and make other changes to fix the problem. In battle ground Michigan, voting is ramping up and so are the worries from voters.</s>MARTEZ ROBERTSON, DETROIT VOTER: I want to personally make sure it got handed in. With all the talk of problems with the mail and that sort of thing, I wanted to be sure.</s>PHILLIP (voice over): In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is facing at least two separate federal lawsuits after he issued an executive order restricting ballot drop boxes to one per county because he feels they'll be more secure. Opponents say this is no less than voter suppression.</s>CHRIS HOLLINS, HARRIS COUNTY CLERK: To make it so that our voters who have disabilities, our elderly voters have to drive over an hour, more than 50 miles in some cases to drop off their mail ballot, it's unfair, it's prejudicial and it's dangerous.</s>PHILLIP (voice over): Millions of voters have just hours left to register to vote for the 2020 general election, including competitive states like Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Voting rights groups in Florida are scrambling to help some ex felons get registered to vote before today's deadline by paying off their court fees and fines owed before they can register. Already some 2.6 million general election ballots have been cast according to CNN, and Edison researchers survey of election officials in 24 states reporting voting data. And in six of those states where party data is available, registered Democrats make up more than half of the ballots returned. In Pennsylvania, ongoing disputes over the changing ballot rules, poll watchers, new voting machines and the spread of disinformation are adding to the challenges some from the President himself some from the President himself.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They had Trump written on it, and they were thrown in a garbage can and this is what's going to happen.</s>PHILLIP (voice over): Today, we are also learning about a new cyber security threat. CNN has obtained an email sent by the Democratic National Committee warning campaigns about fraudulent Team Blue Take Action emails sent by a hacking group with malicious attachments.</s>BLITZER: CNN's Abby Phillip reporting for us indeed. And late last night a federal judge, by the way, blocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's directive that limited ballot drop boxes to one per county no matter the size, no matter the population of that county. It's been four years of President Trump's America First foreign policy. I'll speak live with CNN's Fareed Zakaria about how it's impacted American standing with key allies and adversaries also. And as we witness a new wave of deadly coronavirus infections, the President and his running mate, they're holding huge campaign events today. In the coming days, we'll talk about what that means for both the health of their supporters and for the election now just 24 days away. That's just the head right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Infected Trump To Hold Rallies In Florida, Pennsylvania And Iowa Next Week; Trump Speaks To Supporters Packed Into White House Event Despite Rising Numbers Of Coronavirus Cases; Trump Says COVID-19 "Is Disappearing" As New Cases Rise In 28 States; Key Model Projects 395,000 U.S. COVID Deaths By February 1st.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. This is special edition of THE SITUATION ROOM. The United States right now is seeing some very disturbing numbers, ones that were once unthinkable. More than 57,000 new Coronavirus cases reported here in the U.S. on Friday alone. The most we've seen since mid-August. More than 214,000 Americans have lost their lives to this Coronavirus. Nearly 1,000, a thousand Americans, 990 specifically just yesterday alone and now a key model is projecting get this close to 400,000 American deaths by February 1st. And the President of the United States today himself infected with the virus invited hundreds of people to the White House while Vice President Mike Pence also held large in-person events appearing to put the campaign before Americans' health. As the president continues to down-play the pandemic experts are warning it will get a whole lot worse this fall if the United States continues down the path the U.S. is heading right now. In just 24 days before the election the president is also announcing he'll hold in person, very large political rallies across three states in the next few days. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is over at the White House for us. Jeremy, the president today addressing supporters from the Truman Balcony we saw him there Monday night as well when he emerged from the Walter Reed Hospital speaking largely to a lot of young black and Latino voters saying they should vote his opponents into oblivion. But the White House says this wasn't a campaign event.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Wolf. And we have seen President Trump repeatedly turn the White House or official White House events into political rallies, and that is exactly what we saw from the president today. Whether it was the hundreds of supporters wearing make America great again hats or the president's campaign themed rhetoric, it was quite clear that this was a political event, part of the president's last dash race to the November 3rd election. The president talking about Democrats, and he also talked about the Coronavirus, Wolf. And what we heard from the president who is still infected with the Coronavirus is rhetoric that's very similar to what he was saying before he was infected with Coronavirus. Listen.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Through the power of the American - the American spirit I think more than anything else. Science, medicine we'll eradicate the China virus once and for all. We'll get rid of it all over the world. You see big flare ups in Europe, very big flare up in Canada. You saw that today. A lot of flare-ups, but it's going to disappear. It is disappearing and vaccines are going to help and the therapeutics is going to help a lot.</s>DIAMOND: Wolf, there's no question that Coronavirus is not disappearing from the United States. In fact cases are raising across the country with that really high number that we saw yesterday, 57,000 new cases just yesterday. But, Wolf, what is so striking is that President Trump rather than using his illness, his Coronavirus illness as an opportunity to educate the American public on the real dangers, the real risks of this virus he's instead using to amplify this messaging that he's used throughout this pandemic which is to down-play the threat of this virus.</s>BLITZER: Yes, it's so worrisome. He could be telling everybody wear masks, social distance. We don't hear that in these campaign rallies. We did hear in contrast, Jeremy, some very dark and divisive messaging from the president today with just 24 days to go before the November 3rd election. Is this the kind of messaging we should expect to hear as he returns to the campaign trail in the coming days?</s>DIAMOND: That is certainly what it seems like Wolf. The president has placed this law and order messaging at the center of his re-election campaign. The question Wolf is whether or not that is actually working? Poll after poll has shown consistently that Americans are far more concerned about the Coronavirus pandemic or the economy than they are about these issues of law and order and yet the president keeps trying to use that. So far it hasn't swayed that suburban demographic that the president has been trying to win back over after the 2018 mid-term those suburban voters powering Democrats to take back the House. And so Wolf, the question is whether or not that's going to work going forward? But the president, there's no question Wolf he's itching to get back on the campaign trail. He often relies on himself to try and power himself back. He's a real moment of weakness right now, Wolf. The president is trailing in every national poll.</s>DIAMOND: Some polls including CNN's by double digits and he is also trailing in many of those key battleground states. And that's why we're going to see him hit a trio of battleground states earlier this week, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right, thanks very much Jeremy Diamond. We'll get back to you at the White House; he is working his sources over there. Joining us now CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Seema Yasmin, a Former CDC Disease Detective also joining us the Epidemiologist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Former Detroit Health Commissioner to both of you doctors thank you so much for joining us. And Dr. El-Sayed, the president was officially diagnosed just nine days ago with COVID-19 in addition to today's event with hundreds of people, a lot of young people, young African-Americans, young Latinos especially the president is planning three more huge rallies in the next few days starting Monday in Florida which reported by the way nearly 3,000 new Coronavirus cases on Friday. When you see this Dr. El-Sayed, what do you think?</s>DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, EPIDEMIOLOGIST & PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT: Number one, Donald Trump is still a COVID patient, and we call them patients for a reason. It's not fun to be sick and you need to wait so you get better and also don't make other people sick. He's clearly not doing that. But then this is the height of cynicism, right? He's going out in campaign mode, and he wants to spread his message but in so doing may also be spreading his disease. And finally in a country where we're seeing unfortunately COVID-19 roaring back given the fall and all the behavior changes that come with the fall, this is not the kind of behavior that the president the leader of our country ought to be demonstrating when it comes to how to prevent the spread of this disease. It's just cynicism and frustration all around.</s>BLITZER: Yes, he should be an example to the rest of the country. Dr. Yasmin, we still don't have any idea when the president last tested negative or what his actual status is right now just his own assertions that he's doing great, listen to this.</s>TRUMP: They had some big events at the White House and perhaps there. I don't really know. Nobody really knows for sure. Numerous people have contracted it. But people have contracted it all over the world. It's highly contagious. I was not in great shape and we have a medicine that fixed me. I feel better now I did two weeks ago. It's crazy and I recovered immediately, almost immediately. I might not have recovered at all from COVID. Just saw the doctors today and they think I'm in great shape.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you test negative?</s>TRUMP: I'll tell you I took this Regeneron. It's phenomenal.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you had a test since your diagnosis a week ago?</s>TRUMP: Well, what we're doing is probably the test will be tomorrow.</s>BLITZER: Dr. Yasmin, if the incubation period is 14 days the isolation period according to the CDC is supposed to be 10 to 20 days depending among this upon the severity of infection, the age, illness history of the patient. Is the President of the United States behaving responsibly right now?</s>DR. SEEMA YASMIN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Absolutely not. And let's make no mistake, Wolf, that the president is classified as a severe COVID- 19 patient because his oxygen saturation levels dropped below 94 percent. He had to receive supplemental oxygen twice. He received three strong medicines including one that doesn't even have authorization for use in emergencies. He is not following his own federal agency's guidelines about how you should behave when you are a COVID-19 patient and in his case a severe COVID-19 patient? By being around other people in this way by not wearing a mask he's jeopardizing public health and putting other people's lives at risk and we've seen how that panned out previously. Just recently Dr. Anthony Fauci was saying that that White House event in the Rose Garden on September 26th turned out to be a super spreader event because there were people there gathered on the lawn not wearing masks, sitting close to each other. And what did we see in the days and weeks afterwards? We saw Senators diagnosed with COVID-19. We saw Governors infected. We saw a White House Press Secretary, we saw White House aides. So these quickly spiral out of control if you're not doing physical distancing, if you're not wearing masks. And all of this in the context of a president who was very severely ill and just not following the guidelines.</s>BLITZER: Not at all. Dr. El-Sayed, what's your reaction to the fact that today's White House event and for all practical purposes it was a campaign event actually targeted young black and Latino voters, the very groups that have been hit hardest here in the U.S. by the disease.</s>DR. EL-SAYED: Yes, to step back we know that black and brown Americans in particular Latino Americans, we know that their risk of contracting COVID-19 was about 2.5 fold the probability of the average American, and the risk of dying was upwards of three fold in the number of communities.</s>DR. EL-SAYED: And for him to - to use this moment while he's got COVID-19 to try and speak to these communities without actually doing the basic things that he needs to not only to get healthy himself but to take on COVID-19 across the country I just think is the height of cynicism. And it's deeply frustrating I believe in this country to watch this person fundamentally fail his responsibilities while continuing to claim that somehow we're moving in the right direction as 214,000 people now have died, and the virus is raging back because of the fall. I would rather him just focus on taking on COVID-19 with the time he has in office instead of trying to make it look like the job he's done is even worthwhile.</s>BLITZER: You know, Dr. Yasmin, there's a new model that's come just projecting 395,000 Americans could be dead from this virus by February 1st. They're questioning if there's enough PPE, are there enough tests to cope with the coming demand through the winter months. It looks like it's about to get a whole lot worse.</s>DR. YASMIN: Yes, Wolf. You and I have talked about these projections from February and March time. Every time it gets worse and worse these new numbers come from the University Of Washington School Of Medicine they're saying that by February we could be seeing on average 2,300 Americans die every single day. Right now we're averaging around 1,000 Americans dying from COVID-19 every day. They're also mentioning as you say that by mid-January that death toll could be around 400,000. The good news in there is that if we were to wear masks with 95 percent of Americans were to consistently wear masks including the president and folks in the White House, we could save 80,000 lives. And it's so important to do that now as the virus is surging in more than two dozen states especially in the Midwest as we're going to be battling flu in the next few months as well. And there are doctors, nurses, front line workers, EMTs rationing their PPE, reusing and re- wearing masks that were designed for one single wear here in the U.S. That is so unacceptable. They have to risk their safety and their lives, and they're even not able to get the tests they need for their patients and to not get quick turnarounds. So it's like a real punch in the gut when you hear about lawmakers in Washington refusing to get COVID-19 tests when there are doctors and nurses who desperately need tests for their patients and can't get them.</s>BLITZER: Yes, if the president wore a mask and told his political supporters you've got to wear a mask, you'll save live, just do it that would have a huge difference and in the process save potentially thousands and thousands of lives in the coming weeks and months. Dr. Seema Yasmin and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, guys thank you so much for joining us always important to hear your views.</s>DR. YASMIN: Thank you.</s>BLITZER: Up next, the president's playbook this week included a speech from the White House balcony. Just two weeks after a super spreader event in the Rose Garden over at the White House. A media blitz with friendly TV and radio hosts meanwhile and a deluge of tweets and attacks on political rivals. So what exactly is the president's strategy just 24 days until Election Day here in the U.S.? We'll discuss that and a whole lot more. Stay with us. You're in "The Situation Room".

Joe Biden: Trump Must Make Sure He's Not Spreading The Virus

BLITZER: So with just 24 days to go until the election here in the U.S. Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden is making a big pitch to voters in the key Battleground State of Pennsylvania. CNN's Jessica Dean is in on the ground in Erie, Pennsylvania for us right now. Jessica, so what did we just hear from the Former Vice President?</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Vice President Biden, Wolf, was in Erie this afternoon with an economic message tailored very much to white working class voters here in Erie, located in a county that President Trump won by just a little back in 2016. It is a county that the Biden Campaign thinks that they can win back. These are voters they believe that they can win back with Joe Biden delivering this Scranton versus Park Avenue messaging to them about the economy, about union jobs, about American manufacturing. And that is a lot of what we heard today. We also heard from a soybean farmer from this area who actually voted for President Trump back in 2016 who is voting for Joe Biden this year. So that was the type of message they were trying to get across here. But also it comes on the day when President Trump was holding his event there at the White House after being diagnosed with COVID-19. And in addition to the economy the COVID crisis has played the central role in Joe Biden's Campaign. That is where they have sought to really draw a contrast with President Trump and his administration. Yesterday Vice President Biden calling Trump reckless. Here's what he had to say today as he was en route to Erie.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Before I came out again today to go somewhere I had another test this morning. And I'm clear. I think it's important the president make sure two things. One that he is clear, he is not a spreader like Dr. Fauci said a super spreader event had in the Supreme Court announcement. And secondly, I think it's important that he make it clear to all the people that they should be socially distanced, they should be on the lawn and that's fine. But in fact they should be socially distanced and wearing masks. That's the only responsible thing to do.</s>DEAN: And Wolf, you mentioned how key Pennsylvania is going to be this election? This is the second trip that Joe Biden made to the state just this week. Earlier this week when I talked to you I was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, so very important to the Biden Campaign and they know it.</s>BLITZER: President Trump is heading to Pennsylvania this week as well. Jessica dean, thank you very, very much. Meanwhile the president is trying to project a return to some sense of normality. Today speaking at a big White House event with no social distancing on the South Lawn of the White House as his Vice President Mike Pence did the same thing at a big campaign rally in Florida. Let's discuss with the Host of CNN's "SMERCONISH," Michael Smerconish is joining us right now. Michael thanks so much for joining us. What do you think is the strategy behind today's event? Who was the real target audience?</s>MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Not you, not CNN viewers, not the people who look at this and find it jarring. What occurs to me, Wolf, is that this was a planned event, right? This is not a college party that spun out of control because students are working their phones and all of a sudden a crowd shows up that you didn't anticipate. This was deliberate. They knew exactly what they were doing today? And so what it tells me is that it's an event that is channeling toward the base that he already has. Pew Research released a survey this week, an enormous sample size, 10, 11,000 people. And it found that 78 percent of those who subsist on a diet of only Fox News and talk radio believe the virus is overblown. This event today, the imagery that came from it, it was for them, it was for his base. It is not intended to persuade anybody.</s>BLITZER: As you heard and all of us heard the president once again claimed today that the virus in his words is disappearing, which of course is false. It's false today just as it was when he said those kinds of things right at the beginning of the pandemic in March and April. Are you surprised he hasn't changed his rhetoric since contracting COVID himself?</s>SMERCONISH: You know contrition has never come easily to him, right? He's always been following that Roy Cohn play book of attack, attack, attack. I'm hard-pressed in the span of the last 4 years to identify any circumstance, maybe the "Access Hollywood" tape on the night it was released there was some contrition from him. But it's just never been what makes him tick. He's not the type to say I was wrong or to change his view. And as problematic as many of his critics find that, that "Resolve" is what his supporters seem to like.</s>BLITZER: The president did a number of interviews, and you discussed this on your program Smerconish earlier today here on CNN with right wing conservative media, nearly a two-hour no commercial break interview with rush Limbaugh. That seems to be his strategy right now. How effective is that approach if you're primarily only going after your base? My own sense is that maybe he fears there won't be enough turnouts from his base. He's trying to get bigger turnout and as a result that's what he's doing.</s>SMERCONISH: I think you're right, Wolf. I think the intent was getting out the vote. Getting out the vote that he already has but perhaps is worried as to whether they have the same level of passion and are going to show up to the same extent that they did 4 years ago? Look, the way you reach Republican voters these days is not to go through the traditional party apparatus. Men with microphones, largely men with microphones, individuals who are part of that sort of, you know, cottage industry of conservative media, they're the ones who have a stranglehold on the most reliable Republican voters. But to your point, it's not a way that you reach the rest of the community, the rest of the country. That same Pew survey that I said that shows nearly 80 percent of those who worked only at Fox and only at talk think this is overblown when you ask all Americans who will do a better job handling the virus as between Vice President Biden and President Trump? There's a 17 percent gap that favors Joe Biden. They know that. They're not playing for those folks. He's really never made a pitch to grow the tent in 4 years, and for better or worse that's how he's going to finish.</s>BLITZER: Yes, he could have reached 60 million or 80 million viewers in that second scheduled debate in Miami that was supposed to take place this coming week, but he walked out because it was going to be virtual instead of in-person, and I think even some of his closest political supporters are saying that was a blunder. Michael Smerconish as usual, thanks you so much for joining us.</s>SMERCONISH: Thank you, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Coming up, as doctors fear the United States may be heading into a second wave of the deadly Coronavirus, the president once again said today of the Coronavirus and I'm quoting now, "It's going to disappear, it is disappearing". That comment as he himself today on balcony due to his own COVID-19 diagnosis.</s>BLITZER: I'll discuss that and more with Miles Taylor. He served in the Trump Administration. That's next right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Infected Trump Addresses From White House Balcony

BLITZER: President Trump and his White House disregarding CDC guidelines may be nothing new, but it was still rather shocking to witness the scene at the White House earlier today. Hundreds not socially distanced gathering close together to hear the president speak. Miles Taylor is a CNN Contributor, Former Trump Homeland Security Official who's now backing Joe Biden. Miles thanks so much for joining us. You served in this administration. What do you make of the event today over at the White House?</s>BLITZER: Earlier today, hundreds not socially distanced gathering close together to hear the President speak. Miles Taylor is a CNN contributor, former Trump Homeland Security official, who is now backing Joe Biden. Miles, thanks so much for joining us. You served in this administration. What do you make of the event today over at the White House?</s>MILES TAYLOR, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Wolf, in this administration, it's become really tough to define the word hyperbole. Okay. And we try to avoid it as much as we can. But it would not, in my case, be hyperbolic to say that this was absolutely stunning. It was stunning to see for a lot of reasons, not least of which because we're in the middle of a once in a century pandemic, but because, Wolf, we just saw pictures the other week of an event at the White House of people without masks in the Rose Garden that may have been a super spreader event that potentially was, you know, infecting multiple people within this administration. We're still dealing with the fallout. The Joint Chiefs of the United States are still in quarantine, in part because of those events at the White House, the photos of which I think were also stunning. But now here we are, mere days after the President got out of Walter Reed, and they're holding more events like that at the White House in contravention of C.D.C. guidelines. So, Wolf, if I was in my last job at the Department of Homeland Security, I think one of the first calls that I would have made today would have been to the White House Chief of Staff and I would have said, look, what are you guys doing? And please explain to us why the White House is continuing this way when we have real concerns about the continuity of government, because people in and around the White House might be infected because of the way that you are handling events. That doesn't appear to have happened and the White House seems to continue to flout the guidance of their own public health officials.</s>BLITZER: It's so disturbing. Tomorrow, Miles, will be seven months since the President's Oval Office address about the pandemic. On that day. He said this. Listen.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Smart action today will prevent the spread of the virus tomorrow. Every community faces different risks and it is critical for you to follow the guidelines of your local officials who are working closely with our Federal health experts -- and they are the best. For all Americans, it is essential that everyone take extra precautions, and practice good hygiene. Each of us has a role to play in defeating this virus: wash your hands, clean often used surfaces, cover your face and mouth if you sneeze or cough, and most of all, if you are sick or not feeling well, stay home.</s>BLITZER: So has he actually forgotten that guidance? Did he ever really believe it to begin with?</s>TAYLOR: Now, Wolf, it is extraordinary. You remember very well during the Obama administration, when a senior official described their foreign policy as leading from behind, and it became the watchwords that were used politically against the Obama administration. I think the watchwords for this administration will be leading by example, because we had the White House talk about leading by example. We had the President in that speech, say it was important to lead by example, and what Americans needed to do. And then the White House very ironically, has done the exact opposite. You can't overstate the importance of this, and it is easy for us to get on television and talk about it and criticize the White House because there's a lot that this administration is doing wrong. But really, most fundamentally, when it comes to this pandemic, the simplest things that this White House could have done are the most important things, and there are so many supporters in this country. We're not talking about thousands, we're talking about millions of supporters of the President who are watching his example, and following his example. So when the President doesn't wear masks, when the President has as many friends as he wants over to his house, when the President doesn't follow C.D.C. guidelines, then Americans will do the same. They won't wear masks. They'll have as many friends over their house as they want to. They'll have big gatherings and events and we'll see the virus continue to spread. Again, the simplest thing the White House could have done is in this case, the most important of the pandemic, and they haven't done that. And I would go a step further and say that if the President of the United States can't protect his own people in the White House complex, and I've talked to a number of friends that are still at the White House, and I talk to them regularly, a lot of them are very uncomfortable about the situation the President has put them in because they either have preexisting conditions or they've got family members who are vulnerable. If he can't protect those people, how can he protect the American people and viewers and voters would be right to ask that question.</s>BLITZER: Miles Taylor, joining us. Miles, thank you very, very much as usual. Meanwhile, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican senators, they're not balking at the price tag of a stimulus package proposed by the White House. Stuck in the middle of all of this political back and forth are the American people who continue to struggle right now in an economy crippled by the pandemic. Andrew Yang is here to discuss. There you see him. We've got lots to discuss with him when we come back.

GOP Senators, Pelosi Oppose Trump's $1.8 Trillion Stimulus Proposal

BLITZER: The House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Republicans, they are blasting President Trump's $1.8 trillion stimulus proposal, almost ensuring the Congress will not pass another stimulus package before Election Day. Just this past week, an additional 800,000 more Americans filed for first-time unemployment. Millions of Americans are way behind on rent, paying bills, facing lots of food insecurity right now. Hard to believe this is going on here in the United States of America. Let's discuss this and more with CNN political commentator, the former Democratic presidential candidate, Andrew Yang. Andrew, thanks so much for joining us. There is such an enormous need out there right now, why has it been so difficult for the players here in Washington to get their act together to help these Americans in need?</s>ANDREW YANG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: In one word, politics, Wolf, but I agree with you in being beyond disappointed. It is infuriating that it is October and so many Americans are still waiting on a relief bill that should have been passed months ago.</s>YANG: If I'm Nancy Pelosi, I'd take this deal. If I'm Mitch McConnell, I'd take this deal. This is great for the American people. They were suggesting another $1,200.00 in direct cash relief to millions of Americans, $400.00 a week in weekly Federal unemployment benefits. This would be a lifeline for millions of Americans, and I have no idea why this is not being passed. Instead, they are grandstanding and playing politics while people are hurting.</s>BLITZER: Yes, I mean, it's amazing what's going on. We see the pain and suffering out in the streets all over the country right now. We saw the President, by the way, Andrew, this week, call off stimulus talks, tweeting -- at one point he tweeted these words, "I have instructed by representatives to stop negotiating until after the election. When immediately after I win, we will pass a major stimulus bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and small business." And then all of a sudden, yesterday, he said this. Listen.</s>TRUMP: I would like to see a bigger stimulus package, frankly, than either the Democrats or the Republicans are offering. I'm going in the exact opposite now, okay? I mean, I'm telling you this. I'm telling you something I don't tell anybody else because maybe it helps or maybe it hurts negotiations.</s>BLITZER: That was in his interview with Rush Limbaugh, a total 180 from the President, Andrew, so will this nebulous plan even be possible, given the resistance that he's now getting from Republicans who think it's too much -- too much money involved, and from Democrats who want even more, but they want different aspects of it?</s>YANG: President Trump vacillating on this, Wolf, made the entire process much more difficult, because after he tweeted that no more stimulus relief bill, then everyone now feels like he is taking responsibility for cutting off negotiations. So even if he tries to reopen them the next day, everyone can just say, well, you know that ship has sailed, but they're wrong to do so. Because if you look at this timeframe, we need to pass a bill yesterday, really, even if you were to pass it immediately, Americans will be waiting for weeks for benefits to actually arrive in their hands. And if you wait until after the election, the election might take some time to play out, and then having Congress come together and pass a bill, you could be extending this timeline by weeks or more. So again, Nancy Pelosi in Congress, please, I know you don't love President Trump, but the American people need relief and this is a good deal for millions of Americans.</s>BLITZER: Yes, we're not talking about billions of dollars, we're talking about trillion, more than a trillion dollars right now. So your message to the Speaker Nancy Pelosi, take the money and run.</s>YANG: Yes. This package is solid on many levels. I understand that Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats wanted to include aid to city and state governments around the country, which was right, because those governments are in position where they're going to be turning around and laying off workers. But this package includes that. It includes hundreds of billions of dollars in relief to state governments. So this is a solid deal for Democrats. And I have this sinking feeling, unfortunately, that at this point, Congress is willing to lay this defeat at the feet of the President, because people are voting. Right now, people are heading to the polls over the next number of days and weeks. And unfortunately, I think Congress is looking at it and saying at this point, the President can own this failure. But I think that's the wrong approach.</s>BLITZER: The President keeps claiming, as you know, Andrew, that the economy is roaring back. It's going to be great. It's going to be fabulous. But the unemployment rate right now is at the highest level we've seen -- we've ever seen just ahead of a presidential election right now. As I said earlier, more than 800,000 Americans just last week had to file for first time unemployment benefits. That's according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This is an awful situation the country is facing right now.</s>YANG: You know, the numbers are horrifying, Wolf, and the numbers understate the damage. There was a quote in an article that I think said it all. They said that the cars that are heading to the food banks are getting nicer. The damage is spreading throughout the American middle class. You're seeing people who never imagined they'd be in a situation where they would have to go to a food bank or shelter doing just that. And more and more people, as they become distressed are looking at our government saying, why can you not do what 82 percent of Americans agree is necessary, what every economist on both sides of the aisle agree is necessary. Do your job, Congress. This is why you're there. And if you can't get this done, then people are going to be paying a price at the ballot box in November because a lot of folks I talk to are disgusted at the lack of leadership out of Washington.</s>BLITZER: And these people who are losing their jobs, the millions of them, they are losing their healthcare. They are losing all of their ability to pay the rent, to put food on the table, to help their kids. It's a horrible, horrible situation that's unfolding right now.</s>BLITZER: So your message, get the money out there and get it out there quickly. Andrew Yang, as usual. Thanks so much for joining us.</s>YANG: Thank you, Wolf. Be well.</s>BLITZER: You, too. Stay safe out there. Meanwhile, the President said today, the coronavirus is disappearing. An emergency physician told CNN today and I'm quoting now, "We are all deeply afraid that this is the beginning of that dreaded second wave." Why is there such a gap between what doctors are saying, what the leader of the free world is saying right now? Stay with us. We'll explain when we come back.

Trump Speaks to Supporters Packed into White House Event Despite Rising Number of Coronavirus Cases; White House Virus Outbreak Sparks National Security Concerns.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN THE SITUATION ROOM: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. This is a special edition of The Situation Room. We begin tonight, just 24 days until the U.S. presidential election, and with images from a White House event for President Trump, that in normal election year might have seemed ordinary but with the country now facing a looming second deadly wave of coronavirus, these images seen nothing short of reckless. Yesterday the nation saw its highest single day number of positive coronavirus cases since mid-August, over 57,000 new cases, once again, just yesterday. And more than 214,000 Americans have now lost their lives to the virus in the past seven months or so. But while it would seem to be a time for caution, this was the scene at the White House and in Florida, by the way, as well, where President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence held large in-person political campaign events, some masks, but little social distancing, seemingly putting their re-election campaign ahead of the well-being of Americans. The president who, just a week ago, was hospitalized with the virus is now saying he will hold three in-person rallies across the country next week starting Monday. And the White House, so far, has been coy about when President Trump last tested negative for the virus, a virus that killed just yesterday 990, 990 Americans in just one day. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is joining us from the White House right now. Jeremy, clearly, the president is intent on returning to the kind of in-person rallies that he loves despite his own medical condition. And once again, he is claiming without any evidence at all that the coronavirus is just going to go away. Tell us more, first of all, about this White House event and the president's plans for the coming days.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. The president clearly not chastened by the fact that he is dealt with some pretty significant symptoms of the coronavirus over the last week. The president's gathering hundreds of his supporters on the south lawn of the White House earlier today, the White House claiming that it was not a company rally but it looks like exactly that. You saw a hundreds of people tightly packed together with Make America Great Again hats on. Now, they were mostly wearing masks this time, which is rarity here at the White House, but, Wolf, there was no social distancing and, of course, the CDC makes very clear that masks are not a substitute for social distancing, you should be doing both. As for the president's rhetoric, he's continuing to make the exact same claims that he made before coming down with coronavirus. Listen.</s>DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Through the power of the American spirit, I think more than anything else, science, medicine will eradicate the China virus once and for all, we'll get rid of it. All over the world you see big flare-ups in Europe, big flare-up in Canada, very big flare-up in Canada, you saw that today. A lot of flare-ups, but it's going to disappear. It is disappearing and we have vaccines that are going to help and the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>DIAMOND: Now, Wolf, the reality in the United States is nothing like what President Trump is explaining there. In fact, new daily coronavirus cases have been rising in recent days, coming to close to 50,000 new cases per day on average, Wolf. It is a startling reminder that coronavirus is very much here in the United States, even as President Trump continues to downplay it. And, Wolf, he president is expecting to return to the campaign trail as soon as Monday. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the president will visit a trio of battleground states. And we can expect to see the same scenes that we have seen over this last several weeks of this pandemic, which is thousands of his supporters tightly packed together, very few masks and the president rallying them at the same time.</s>BLITZER: Given the president's past messaging when it comes to race, Jeremy, how much support can he count on from black and Latino voters, and they were largely there on the south lawn of the White House today?</s>DIAMOND: Well, Wolf, interestingly with the president has actually over performs the last Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, as it relates to Latino voters and Trump campaign officials have told me that they expect the president to overperform again in 2020. But as it relates to black Americans, which was the target of this event earlier today, it was organized by Candace Owens, the black conservative activist, who was organizing this event to try and get black Americans to essentially leave the Democratic Party, come towards the Republican Party. But, Wolf, every poll has shown that President Trump's support among black Americans is in the low single digits. But what this event is really about, Wolf, and trying to address black Americans, it's really mostly an effort that targeted at white suburban voters, trying to create this permission structure for white Americans who have heard time and again the president say racist things, to try and convince them that the president is not racist, and to encourage them to vote for him.</s>BLITZER: All right, Jeremy Diamond, at the White House for us. Thanks, as usual. We're going to get more of this poll numbers coming in later this hour. Our own Harry Enten is going to be joining us here. You will want to stick around for that. In the meantime I want to bring in Dr. Patrice Harris. She is the immediate past President of the American Medical Association. Also with us, Dr. David Shulkin, Dr. Shulkin was the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Trump. To both of you, thanks very much for joining us. And, Dr. Shulkin, does President Trump's push for events, like the ones we saw today, an event that are be taking place in the coming days, actually contradict medical guidance? How much do you question his judgment right now by what he's doing? Given the fact that a week ago, just last Saturday, he was still over at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.</s>DR. DAVID SHULKIN, FORMER SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS UNDER TRUMP: Yes, Wolf, I'm very concerned about this. I think that this is a big, missed opportunity to tell the American public the truth and to educate them. I think, unfortunately, he is showing all the signs and symptoms of CVS, which is COVID Denial Syndrome, which, of course, COVID Denial Syndrome has four factors. One is you believe the virus is disappearing despite evidence that it's not. You believe that you're not infectious even when you haven't taken a test. You believe that you minimize the signs and symptoms of this illness despite the fact that we had 213,000 Americans who have died of this, and, of course, this can be a very series illness. And, finally, you don't recommend social distancing so that this pandemic is allowed to continue and continue to proliferate in a way that we're seeing it. So I'm very concerned about the way that this is being handled, and, you know, unfortunately, as you said, we're seeing no evidence that this pandemic is going away in this country, or, in fact, around the world.</s>BLITZER: You know, Dr. Harris, today we saw not only the president but the vice president, Mike Pence, also hosted an in-person political rally at the villages in Florida, a huge retirement community. A CNN producer who was there estimated just maybe 20 percent of the audience was wearing face masks. Based on the age alone, these attendees potentially, correct me if I'm wrong, they're in a high risk category. What do you say when you see a gathering, a political gathering like this?</s>DR. PATRICE HARRIS, FORMER PRESIDENT, AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: Wolf, we are entering a dangerous time, and certainly, the science will be and is required for us to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. But these are not either/or activities, these are and activities. And so I was glad to see at the White House that a lot of folks were wearing masks, as you noted, there in Florida, not as many. But also social distancing is required, washing our hands, avoiding large crowds. And it's not just that the numbers are increasing, it's the time. We are about to enter flu season. We are more likely to be indoors because of the cooler weather. Folks are getting tired and fatigued and are gathering in smaller crowds. But all of this increases the risk of COVID-19. So I'm very concerned and I want people to know it's all of the layers of mitigation that science requires.</s>BLITZER: As you know, Dr. Shulkin, the White House continues to avoid answering questions about when the president actually last tested negative for coronavirus. Explain to our viewers why it's so critical to have that information. They won't even tell us if he's tested negative already.</s>SHULKIN: Well, I think it's so important for us to know when the president first developed signs of having the virus as well as when the virus became significant enough to test positive, because that's the way we tell when and if it's safe for the president to go back out. Of course, we do recommend repeat testing, in fact, two negative tests. You should be symptom-free for 72 hours without being on symptom-mediating medications and having two negative tests separated by 48 hours is the best evidence to suggest that you are not spreading the virus. But I think most important is, is that it's important to be transparent about this information with the American public. And when you're not transparent about the information, people assume that you're hiding information. And this is all part of the erosion that we are seeing in the confidence of those that are in scientific physicians and health professionals. And we need to have confidence in our health professionals during a time of a national pandemic.</s>BLITZER: Yes. The president's physician hasn't held a media briefing on the president's condition since the president left Walter Reed, which was last Monday. He issued a few very short statements in writing, but no opportunity for reporters to ask questions. Dr. Harris, today, the president cited flare-ups in Europe and Canada and, yes, there are some flare-ups in Europe and Canada, but made no mention of the fact that the U.S. has had whole lot bigger flare-ups, more than 50,000 new cases for three days in a row now, or that forecast models are now projecting nearly 400,000 American deaths by February 1st. What do you make of his continued claims that this virus will disappear, that it's just going away?</s>HARRIS: Well, I think the facts and the data really contradict that opinion. We are absolutely going in the wrong direction. And, certainly, those numbers are alarming. Now, those are projections. And, Wolf, as you've heard me say so many times, we don't have to reach those numbers. We have the power, each of us, within our own hands, to wear mask, watch our distances, wash our hands and avoid large crowds. And the other thing, Wolf, we need to do now that we are just entering the flu season is to get a flu vaccine. And particularly it's important, and I want members of the black and Latin X community to certainly become informed and get a flu vaccine, because last year, over 400,000 of us were hospitalized. And if you look at data from the CDC over the last decade, black and Latin X communities were disproportionately impacted when it comes to hospitalizations for the flu.</s>BLITZER: All right, guys, thank you so much. Dr. Patrice Harris, Dr. David Shulkin, always important having your views here in The Situation Room. Thanks so much for joining us.</s>SHULKIN: Thank you.</s>HARRIS: Thank you, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: The president faced the coronavirus himself and yet he is reverting to that rhetoric that the virus is disappearing as the virus has spread among the top levels of the U.S. government. What are the national security implications of all of this? The president's former national security adviser, John Bolton, there you see him, he's standing by live. We have lots to discuss right here in The Situation Room.

Physician Clears U.S. President to Return to Active Schedule; Key Model Projects over 394K U.S. COVID-19 Deaths by February; Biden Reaches across Political Divide in Pennsylvania; Trump Holds In-Person Event at White House Saturday; CNN Poll: Percentage of Americans Who Say They Would Get Vaccine Keeps Falling; Coronavirus in Europe; U.S. Seniors Increasingly Support Biden over Trump

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hi, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. Thanks for joining me. You're watching CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow. Coming up, Donald Trump is okayed for travel. Everything we know about the presidents health. Spoiler alert, it is not a lot. Record spikes in Europe. We will bring you the latest on. That and the virus has changed so much about the world we live in, including Hollywood love scenes. Meet the new standards.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Robyn Curnow.</s>CURNOW: U.S. president Donald Trump's doctor has cleared him to travel to give speeches and start campaigning again. This just more than a week since he was diagnosed with COVID. Dr. Sean Conley says Mr. Trump is no longer a transmission risk and he can stop isolating. But it leaves many questions about the president's health unanswered. We still don't know if he's tested negative for the virus and we don't know what kind of test he's been given to show that he's no longer contagious. Here's Jeremy Diamond to break down the doctor's note for us and tell us what's coming next.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, is now clearing him for a return to public activities. Dr. Conley writing in a new memo released late Saturday night that the president is no longer considered a risk of transmission for the coronavirus to others. Now let me read you a part of this memo by Dr. Sean Conley, where he writes, "This evening I'm happy to report that in addition to the president meeting CDC criteria for the safe decision of isolation, this morning's COVID PCR sample demonstrates by currently recognize standards he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others. "Now at day 10 from symptom onset, fever free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus." The doctor goes on to say that he will continue to monitor the president's health as he returns to a more active schedule. Now President Trump, of course, did not wait for this memo before holding a event on the White House South lawn on Saturday. Trump did stay at quite a distance from the several hundred people who attended this event on the South Lawn of the White House. While most folks were wearing masks, they were not observing any social distancing, packed quite closely together just two weeks after the event at the Rose Garden of the White House that is now considered a superspreader event and perhaps the origin point for many of those positive coronavirus tests that we have since seen at the White House. President Trump needed this memo to get some more public confidence in his return to an active schedule. And that is exactly what he's going to be doing this coming week. He'll be hitting 3 battleground states, Florida, Iowa and Pennsylvania, this coming week -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.</s>CURNOW: Thanks, Jeremy. So President Trump's White House appearance Saturday was his first public event since his coronavirus diagnosis. He said he feels quote great. He's also been upbeat about the trajectory of the virus in the U.S. Too upbeat, according to some health experts. Mr. Trump is saying the virus is already starting to go away while using a name that many find offensive.</s>TRUMP: Through the power of the American spirit, I think more than anything else, science, medicine will eradicate the China virus more and all. We'll get rid of it. All over the world, you see big flare-ups in Europe, big flare-ups in Canada, a very big flare-up in Canada, you saw that today. A lot of flare-ups, but it's going to disappear. It is disappearing. And vaccines are going to help, and the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>CURNOW: But a model that is often being looked at during this pandemic is painting quite a different picture. The model is based on current conditions. Let's look at what those are right now. As you can see, most states are seeing increasing cases as opposed to a week ago. At this hour, Johns Hopkins University says the numbers of lives lost in the U.S. is more than 214,000 people. The University of Washington model projects a number of 400,000 COVID deaths by February next year. Now the model says also if social distancing mandates are relaxed, that number could easily pass 500,000 deaths.</s>CURNOW: That same model predicts if almost everyone in the U.S. wore masks, tens of thousands of lives would be saved.</s>CURNOW: Dr. Jorge Rodriguez is an internal medicine and viral specialist. He joins us now from Los Angeles. Doctor, lovely to see you again. I just want to get your take on these projections. They are stunning and desperately concerning.</s>DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE AND VIRAL SPECIALIST: They are but they are also right on the money. The University of Washington's projections said that we would have approximately 214,000 cases by a few days ago and we are there. I have no reason to doubt these projections. What I think is very important is, that at the lowest, if we continue doing as we are, we are going to have 390 (sic) or so cases by the end of February. And if we do not even act even more responsibly, it could go as high as half a million. And they're projecting, in the world at that time, we could have a total of 4 million deaths, approximately 30,000 a day, which is really startling. All we have to do to try to decrease that tremendously is to put on masks, wash our hands and to respect social distancing.</s>CURNOW: It's simple but those numbers again, as you say, are startling. So I want to get your opinion as a doctor. As our colleague and correspondent, who's reporting from the White House, this letter from the president's physician. One of the key takeaways for you as you try to decode? It</s>RODRIGUEZ: Well, I agree with a lot of my colleagues that are calling this a master class in medical deception because of its ambiguity. There are so many things in it that it's sort of like medicalspeak but don't really get down to the point, which is, does the president currently have infectious droplets? They measure viral loads and things like that, that disappear after 6 days so we don't know whether he's infectious. Something that was interesting to me, the CDC says that if you have been 10 days after your first symptoms and you've been isolated, that it's probably safe for you to go out. This changes the timeline of the president having his first symptoms sometime around the end of September or October 1st, which would be Wednesday. And we know that he did public speeches and such on that Thursday. So it's also ambiguous, if nothing else. The CDC also says that if you have a serious episode of this infection, that maybe you should isolate for 20 days. The fact that we don't know specifics tend to tell us that this is becoming more of a political decision than a medical recommendation.</s>CURNOW: But also if you can give us a sense, this president gave a speech at the White House today. He is planning public rallies over the next few days after being hospitalized a week ago. So based on the presidents weight, his age, what we know about the severity of his illness, is he out of the woods now? As a doctor, would you recommend that he still stayed in bed?</s>RODRIGUEZ: Yes, absolutely, I would not recommend that he go out and do all of these rallies that he's doing, if nothing else, for his own speech. My patients sometimes are 4 to 6 weeks out and they are still feeling winded. I think it's interesting that the president who usually gives these Fidel Castro type lengthy speeches only spoke for 18 minutes. I think that's all that his body can really tolerate right now. The weaker he makes himself by stressing his body, by flying, by taking long hours, the more likely he is to not only relapse but perhaps get very seriously ill.</s>CURNOW: Dr. Jorge Rodriguez there, thank you.. So despite the fact that the president claims that the coronavirus is disappearing from the United States, it is still a raging epidemic with deadly consequences. The former U.S. national security adviser says twisting the truth for a more flattering outcome is how Trump has always behaved. Take a. Listen</s>JOHN BOLTON, FORMER TRUMP NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: He tries to shape the world to be the way he wants it through his own rhetoric, by intimidating people, by denying facts, by creating facts. And he's trying to do the same thing here. I think what is increasing the pressure is the proximity of the election because he can see the numbers like anybody can. He's in trouble and he doesn't have a strategy to turn it around.</s>CURNOW: John Bolton speaking to Wolf Blitzer there a little earlier. So Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden slammed Trump earlier Saturday over his handling of the pandemic and his own illness.</s>CURNOW: As he headed to campaign stops in Pennsylvania, Biden revealed his latest negative coronavirus test and he called on the president to listen to scientists.</s>JOE BIDEN (D-DE), FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Before I came out again today to go somewhere, I had another test this morning. And I am clear. I think it's important the president makes sure of two things. One that he is clear, that he is not a spreader, like Dr. Fauci said, the superspreader event he had for the Supreme Court announcement. And secondly, I think it's important that he make it clear to all the people that they should be socially distanced, they can be on the lawn; that's fine. But in fact, they should be socially distanced and wearing masks. That's the only responsible thing to. Do</s>CURNOW: Well, at his campaign event in Pennsylvania, Mr. bidden reached out to independents and disaffected Republicans as Jessica Dean now reports. Jessica.</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigning in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday. He traveled here to Erie, Pennsylvania. It's in a county President Trump won narrowly in 2016 and it's tailor made for Biden's economic message that he's been delivering specifically to white working class voters in towns like Erie. Notably, Biden touring a train facility and a union hall before giving a message that can be described as his economic bread and butter message.</s>BIDEN: The top 100 billionaires in the middle of this pandemic, they made $300 billion additional. Hear me now? One hundred individuals made $300 billion this year. And what did the bottom half get? They got the kick, they got the slide down, because the fact is the president can only see the world from Park Avenue. I see it from Scranton, I see it from Claymont, for real. You all know what I'm talking about. Y'all see it from Erie.</s>DEAN: In the meantime, vice president Biden's campaign reported that he underwent PCR testing. That's the gold standard COVID test on Saturday and that test came back negative. The campaign has said that Joe Biden will be continued to be tested regularly and always when he travels -- Jessica Dean, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.</s>CURNOW: CNN Politics White House reporter Stephen Collinson joins us now from Washington. Stephen, hi, good to see you. Talk us through this latest communique from the White House doctor. If you don't mind, can you read between the lines for us? It's difficult to quite figure out what they're trying to say.</s>STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, what it appears is, at least by the letter of the law, the president has now satisfied CDC recommendations for no longer being contagious, given the amount of time that has lapsed since his coronavirus diagnosis. But of course, given the way that the White House has obscured the truth and real information throughout his illness, I think there's grounds for doubt. The White House physician still hasn't confirmed that the president has taken a negative COVID test and, most interestingly, the White House is still refusing to tell us the last time the president tested negative before he got sick. That, of course, is not just important for knowing how long he was likely to be contagious -- he's right on that number of 10 days if we are to believe when he was first tested positive for COVID. But it's also very important to establish whether the president knew he was infected and carried on doing campaign events before we were told he got sick. And that is the reason perhaps that the White House is not telling us exactly when he last tested negative for coronavirus.</s>CURNOW: So talk us through these pictures that we're seeing now on the screen. The president speaking from the balcony at the White House to a largely African American audience today. It was a pretty dark message. What was the reason for this?</s>COLLINSON: The president has been itching to get out on the campaign trail. Originally, he was even talking about going out on Saturday. We now know that there are 3 rallies in Pennsylvania, Iowa and Florida, scheduled for next week. But it's all about getting pictures of the president back in the race. Let's face it, there are three weeks and a couple of days left in this campaign. The president is behind. He needs to get himself on television. He needs to convince people that he is recovered and is fit to campaign. The fact that this was an event that was focused on minorities is interesting. Of course, the president has tried to peel away African American male voters from the Democrats, who traditionally vote for the Democrats. This could be important in some states like Georgia, which is unexpectedly close.</s>COLLINSON: And former Vice President Joe Biden needs to get big African American turnout in cities like Cleveland in Ohio, in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and some of these swing states to offset the president's popularity in more rural areas. That was something Hillary Clinton didn't do. You could say, if you were a cynic, that the real reason he started campaigning with a minority event was do a little bit of clearup over that failure to immediately condemn white supremacy in the presidential debate.</s>CURNOW: Vice president Biden, what's his messaging? It certainly seems like he is trying to pick up disaffected voters, former Trump supporters, who might have changed their mind or are still wavering; independents. How successful is he at that?</s>COLLINSON: Well, if you look at the polls nationally and in swing states, he is doing pretty well. Since that first debate in which the president behaved in an exceedingly belligerent manner, Biden appears to have stretched his lead in the polls. Now we don't know whether to trust the poll; some of the polls were wrong last time around, especially in battleground states. But you have to say that the former vice president is ahead in these this race. He's trying to lock in his gains. It's interesting that he was in Pennsylvania twice this week. He's really concentrating on consolidating that path to 270 electoral votes. If he were to win Pennsylvania, where he currently leads -- and he has been doing well among independents -- and perhaps more moderate, non populist Republican voters, he would almost be assured of the White House. So that's what the former vice president is doing here. The fact that he now doesn't have to debate against Donald Trump again this week takes another area of risk off the table for him. And I would expect him to carry out his path of his visits to swing states the next couple of days.</s>CURNOW: Always good to speak to, you always good to get your analysis. Stephen Collinson, live from D.C., thanks a lot.</s>COLLINSON: Thanks.</s>CURNOW: Still to come, President Trump tries to sow doubt of the integrity of the election. But he's just lost a big court challenge on early voting in a battleground state. Plus global health experts say they're worried about COVID cases in Europe. More so in hotspots like the U.S. and Brazil. We'll see what it's like in Paris. Coming up.

Iraqi Woman Survives COVID-19 with Help from Autistic Son

CURNOW: Welcome back, I'm Robyn Curnow. This news in just from India. The country is now reporting more than 7 million COVID cases. That's the most in the world after the U.S. The Indian health ministry reported more than 74,000 new cases in the past 24 hours. More than 108,000 people have died there from the virus. There is new cause for concern in the U.S. when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. Johns Hopkins University reported the biggest number of daily cases in almost 2 months on Friday. This is just some of the news that's fueling fears of a second wave. Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician with Brown University Emergency Medicine, spoke to CNN about that, take a listen.</s>DR. MEGAN RANNEY, BROWN UNIVERSITY EMERGENCY MEDICINE: Myself, I'm an ER doc and my colleagues across the country, we are all seeing increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients who are coming into our ERs and are getting really sick, requiring intensive care and hospitalization. We did see those spikes in numbers, that were largely younger people about a month ago going back to college. But what we're seeing now is it's starting to spread within the community. And we're all deeply afraid this is the start of that dreaded second wave. We still don't have adequate personal protective equipment for physicians and nurses on the front lines across the country. We still don't have adequate testing supplies. And as you and I just discussed, we still don't have a cure.</s>CURNOW: Well, a CNN poll shows that only about half of Americans say they would get a COVID vaccine once one becomes available. And that number actually dropped over the last few months. Health experts are worried that not enough people will choose to get vaccinated, which will help the virus spread. Now a former CDC director explained during CNN's town hall on Saturday what the CDC can do to address those concerns.</s>JULIA GERBERDING, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: It is about regaining trust and trust depends first and foremost on telling the truth. Even when it's hard. One of the things I learned in my tenure -- and Jeff certainly saw during the 9-1-1 (sic) attacks is that Americans can tolerate really tough truths. But it has to come from reliable and credible sources. I think the other thing is consistency. One of the reasons that we have so much anxiety among Americans is because they're hearing different things from different political leaders. We haven't consolidated and cascaded the messages from reliable sources. We kind of a free-for-all, where everyone can invent their own interpretation of the truth. So if we want people to have trust in the vaccines, we have to tell them what we're doing and why. We have to explain how we're managing the safety and the efficacy evaluation. We have to prepare them whatever side effects we might realistically expect to occur. And then we have to keep them informed as we go forward. It's kind of the basics of risk communication but it comes now when we're in a deficit of trust. So it's going to be very difficult to crawl back into a situation where people believe that we really do have their best interests at heart. The good news is that science is on our side. There are more than 700 products in pipelines for treatment and prevention of COVID-19. So we have to be guardedly optimistic, as Tom said, about what the future might hold and, at the same time, it isn't a panacea. We have a lot of work ahead of us.</s>CURNOW: Europe is struggling to keep the coronavirus under control. Cases are surging even though the region once appeared to have the virus largely contained. Some countries are bringing back strict virus restrictions. One of them is France.</s>CURNOW: And it's seeing an all-time high in daily cases, beating a record that was set just a day earlier, as Melissa Bell explains from Paris.</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in France, another record set on Friday in terms of the new coronavirus cases. More than 20,000 in a single 24 hour period. It comes as four extra French cities see fresh restrictions based on</s>CURNOW: Nepal is on the verge of a health care crisis there, as the number of case infections passed the 100,000. Mark on Friday. This woman outside the crematorium in the capital is crying, where bodies are be taken. There were more than 2,000 cases on Friday and so far the country has seen at least 600 deaths. On a per capita basis, Nepal's daily infections are rising faster than nearby India and Bangladesh.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The situation is becoming scary because in a poor country like ours, we don't have sufficient infrastructure. So the virus might be attacking us more. There is a lack of public awareness as well.</s>CURNOW: Nepal eased its lockdown measures back in June. And experts say the government is not enforcing health protocols like social distancing and wearing masks. CNN has been following the story of an Iraqi woman through years of hardship. She's endured sanctions, war and corruption. And after all that, she recently recovered from. COVID and she did it with the help of her 19 year old autistic son. She says this pandemic has a lesson for all of us. Have a listen.</s>ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "I tell you that we shouldn't use black. It's sad," Nahla gently reminds her son. Nineteen year old Ussayid is autistic. He uses colors, not words to communicate the depths of his anguish. Nahla can sit next to him now. We assure him that she's OK. After Nahla and her husband contracted COVID-19, Ussayid had to care for them, a reflection of just how dire the situation of hospitals is in Iraq. "My first thought was, what if Ussayid also catches it?" she says. "I was scared, I was shaken." I will never forget the first time I met Nahla shortly after her first husband, Ussayid's father, was killed in a car bomb in 2007. She spoke in gentle tones after about having to identify the love of her life from a photograph of his teeth and a metal pin to his knee. His body was so charred and melted along with nine others. How she felt as if she was wearing a cloak of death, that life lost its color, becoming black and white. Ussayid was just 6 years old at the time. Four years later, Nahla looked transformed. She spoke with pride about how Ussayid had just transferred out of the special needs school but that he still carried darkness inside because of the death of his father, a darkness that came out in his drawings, a cloud with rain painted over in black. "We worked for years to get him away from the black of death," she says. "Corona brought the black back into his drawings." That in so many ways is the story of Iraq, a nation whose history is more defined by death and bloodshed than the beauty of its people. The beauty of people like Nahla, fighting for her country's soul. "I always say there is a positive side of any struggle," she tells us. "The positive side is that we discovered that my son has more capabilities than what we thought." She feels as if Iraqis as a whole are discovering how strong they are when they come together. "We are saving each other by uniting during COVID-19 and not looking toward the government," she explains. "We could possibly emerge from coronavirus with a great lesson," she continues, "but we should we should all be united to find the beginning of a path of light."</s>DAMON (voice-over): And that is a lesson for us all -- Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.</s>CURNOW: It certainly. Is so coming up on CNN, changing voting patterns among U.S. seniors. Polls show they are switching from Republicans to Democrats across the country. We'll take a closer look after the break.

Trump's False Claims, Ballot Rules, Cyber Attacks Stoke Concerns

CURNOW: Welcome back to all of you here in the United States and all around the world. Thanks for joining me. You're watching CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow. It is 33 minutes past the hour. A federal judge in Pennsylvania has denied the Trump campaign effort to make drop boxes in the state unconstitutional. This comes as the president continues to spread more false claims about voter fraud and his capitalizing calls for supporters to be poll watchers. Election Day officials worry this could lead to voter intimidation as Abby Phillip explains.</s>CEDRICK BROWN, DETROIT VOTER: I'm not comfortable sending my ballot through the mail. I'd rather just come in and drop it off.</s>ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As millions of voters begin casting their ballots in person or by mail, the Postal Service acknowledging in court documents that there has been a significant drop in first class on time mail delivery. The USPS saying it will increase staffing and make other changes to fix the problem. In battleground Michigan, voting is ramping up and so are the worries from voters.</s>MARTEZ ROBERTSON, DETROIT VOTER: I want to personally make sure it got handed in. With all the talk of problems with the mail and that sort of thing, I wanted to be sure.</s>PHILLIP: In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott is facing at least two separate federal lawsuits after he issued an executive order restricting ballot drop boxes to one per county because he feels they'll be more secure. Opponents say this is no less than voter suppression.</s>CHRIS HOLLINS, HARRIS COUNTY CLERK: To make it so that our voters who have disabilities, our elderly voters have to drive over an hour, more than 50 miles in some cases to drop off their mail ballot, it's unfair, it's prejudicial and it's dangerous.</s>PHILLIP: Millions of voters have just hours left to register to vote for the 2020 general election, including competitive states like Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Already some 2.6 million general election ballots have been cast according to CNN and Edison researchers survey of election officials in 24 states reporting voting data. And in six of those states where party data is available, registered Democrats make up more than half of the ballots returned. In Pennsylvania, ongoing disputes over the changing ballot rules, poll watchers, new voting machines and the spread of disinformation are adding to the challenges some from the President himself.</s>TRUMP: They had Trump written on it and they were thrown in a garbage can and this is what's going to happen.</s>PHILLIP: Today we are also learning about a new cyber security threat. CNN has obtained an e-mail from the Democratic National Committee warning campaigns about fraudulent Team Blue Take Action e- mails sent by a hacking group with malicious attachments.</s>CURNOW: Well, that was Abby Phillip there reporting. On Saturday a federal appeals allowed the governor for one location per county for ballot drop boxes to remain in place at least for. Now CNN was first to view a new Biden campaign ad featuring Cindy McCain, the widow of Arizona Republican senator John McCain. Now Cindy McCain has endorsed Biden for president. And the ad is called, "Like John Did," and it makes the case that Biden is a leader who can cross party lines and unite the country.</s>CINDY MCCAIN, JOHN MCCAIN'S WIDOW (voice-over): In the Senate, they disagreed on almost everything. They'd fight like hell on the floor and then they'd go eat lunch together because they always put their friendship and their country first. Now, more than ever, we need a president who will put service before self.</s>CURNOW: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is leading comfortably in the national polls and that's thanks in part to scenes like this. Senior citizens throwing their support behind the Democrat, rather than the Republican. That is likely making President Trump nervous. Look at these numbers. A recent CNN poll conducted by SSRS says that voters over the age of 65 plan to choose Mr. Biden.</s>CURNOW: Nora Super is the senior director for the Center for the Future of Aging. She's also executive director of the Milken Institute's Alliance to Improve Dementia Care. Thanks for joining us. You study the politics of aging. My question is, how will pensioners and seniors impact this election?</s>NORA SUPER, MILKEN INSTITUTE ALLIANCE TO IMPROVE DEMENTIA CARE: Well, older voters have always had a significant impact on U.S. elections. They are reliable voters, they turn out to the polls. In 2016, 71 percent of voters over age 65 turned out to vote.</s>CURNOW: And who did they vote for? Because, from what I understand, the latest polls are showing that Donald Trump has lost a significant number of these older voters.</s>SUPER: That's right. We are seeing trends toward Vice President Biden now. Pretty significantly in poll after poll. In the past, it's been since Al Gore that a Democrat has won the majority of voters over the age of 65 in the U.S. So nearly 20 years since older voters have gone for the Democratic nominee. So this is a very significant shift that we're seeing in this. Election</s>CURNOW: And why? Why are they shifting?</s>SUPER: Well, I think the number one reason is COVID. Even prior to COVID-19, we saw some changing of folks as they were looking at Donald Trump. What we have here is the Baby Boomers who are turning 65, 10,000 of them every day in the U.S. So it's a huge number of people; 38 million that are what we call are the leading edge of the Baby Boom and another 38 million who are at the trail edge, as I am at age 56. We're not the same as older voters of yesteryear. Older Baby Boomers came of age during Vietnam, during the women's rights movement, civil rights.</s>SUPER: They've really been voters who tried to test autonomy. Watergate happened then and now with younger boomers like myself, the issues that we care about have stayed the same but changed a little bit with COVID for sure. Health has always been a major issue that older voters look to. And since people over 65 are at higher risk to catch COVID, we see that people over 65 have five times higher risk of getting infected from COVID. And 20 percent of them have died. These numbers just increase dramatically the older you get. I think part of what's happening in the election is that people are looking at Donald Trump and don't see a real plan of how to move out of the pandemic. They have seen people that they know die or people get infected. And it's really causing quite a bit of anxiety among older voters.</s>CURNOW: And is this split along racial lines? Is it just white older voters that seem to be peeling away from the president?</s>SUPER: Well, I mean, Black Americans did not vote for Donald Trump in the last election, although they didn't turn out for Hillary Clinton, either. So the expectation is that we will see minority populations, since President Trump really has pitted, unfortunately, some races against each other in the U.S. I think people are predicting that will see a much bigger turnout around minority Americans. And just like populations all across the age span, our older population has become more diverse over time as well. I think that we will see these voters turn out more because they feel -- and especially those in minority populations that have a higher risk of contracting COVID and had disparities and more likely to see death, are really wanting to turn out and vote for a new president.</s>CURNOW: It'll be interesting to see how that energizes them. My next question is, where will this impact be felt? Could this -- could pensioners essentially tilt this election, flip this election? Particularly when we think about it, Florida, such a key state?</s>SUPER: Absolutely. The 3 biggest states that have, of course, the larger, older population are California, Texas and Florida. Texas is in play; nobody expected this. But Florida, we are certainly seeing polls trending that voters that went for Donald Trump are now saying that they will vote for Joe Biden. All it would really take for Joe Biden is to win Florida; that would be a significant gain on election night. Also some of the called Rust Belt states where Trump won big, we have much of older populations there that have been seeing increased risk for COVID-19. So states like Maine, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, they are all continuing to see high infection rates. With winter coming on board and the typical flu season, unfortunately, the projections are it's going to get worse before the election.</s>CURNOW: And that's very much on the minds of voters as they make this decision on who to vote for. Great to speak to you. It's going to be fascinating to see how this is broken down in a few weeks time after the vote. Nora Super, thank you very much for joining. Us</s>SUPER: Thank you.</s>CURNOW: North Korea held a military parade showing off a new weapon. What experts are saying about this weapon and what it might be capable of doing. That's next.

North Korea Unveils Enormous Ballistic Missile

CURNOW: Here's a look at what analysts say could be one of the world's largest ballistic missiles. North Korea unveiled it at a parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Workers Party. South Korea reacted quickly, calling an emergency national security meeting. And a U.S. official says it is disappointing that the North continues to promote its "prohibited ballistic missile program."</s>WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Back on New Year's Day, January 1st of this year, when Kim Jong-un promised to unveil a new strategic weapon. That was, of course, before the COVID-19 pandemic ground the world to a halt and left the hermetically sealed Hermit Kingdom more isolated than ever. Now we're getting our first look at what many analysts believe is that weapon, one of the largest world's largest ballistic missiles. It's massive. It's carried by an 11 axle truck. At the climax of an almost 2-hour military parade in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. I've covered these parades many times over the years and they always bring them out at the end, do it for the drama. The ground is actually shaking beneath your feet as they pass by. Experts are telling us this missile right here could potentially carry multiple warheads, only increasing the threat to the mainland United States, despite dozens of "love letters" between President Trump and Kim Jong-un -- Trump's words, not mine. This is the kind of thing that North Korea would typically love to showcase for the foreign media, including CNN, who has been invited almost every year. But this year things are different. Borders are closed due to COVID-19, essentially shutting down trade in an already struggling economy, battered by international sanctions over its nuclear program. A widespread COVID-19 pandemic inside North Korea -- keep in mind, they have very limited, outdated medical resources. That would be catastrophic. This year we barely saw Kim Jong-un in public when compared to previous years. He disappeared from public view for weeks on end, leading to speculation about his health. But Kim appeared to be back in full form at this military parade, staged in the middle of the night with slick special effects, including a drone flyby. Certainly the most dramatic North Korean military parade I've ever seen. Perhaps the most drama came from Kim himself, dressed in a gray suit and appeared to be almost crying, sobbing at times, tears rolling down his cheeks as he thanked the North Korean people for their hard work during exceptionally hard times. North Korea has been absolutely battered this year, faced crippling sanctions over the nuclear missile programs, the economic catastrophe of closing the border because of the pandemic and natural disasters like a massive typhoon and flooding. Things got so bad in North Korea that Kim did something that his grandfather and father never did. He admitted that his economic plans were a failure and that millions of his people, already scraping by, are suffering. That was reflected in his face and echoed by his audience. Many people were heard crying right along with him. North Korea may struggle for food and electricity but they did show the world their missile program is only getting stronger.</s>RIPLEY (voice-over): Will Ripley, CNN, Hong Kong.</s>CURNOW: You're watching CNN, I'll be right back.

Soap Opera Actors Get Creative with Kissing Scenes.

CURNOW: Here's a story for you. What's a Hollywood soap opera without passionate kissing? But how do you passionately kiss someone on set in the age of COVID? Well, I suppose you can always send in the mannequins as Jeanne Moos reports.</s>JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A soap opera wouldn't be a soap opera without all that kissing, but in the age of COVID, forget passionate 25-second deep dives.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL." MOOS (voice-over): Still beautiful, but less bold. That's a mannequin he's kissing. The clip went viral and the hilarity it inspired was contagious. Normally, Lawrence Saint-Victor and his abs would be intimate with his love interest, Zoe. But, Zoe was replaced by the mannequin.</s>MOOS (voice-over): Actress Kiara Barnes tweeted, "We def had to do a billion takes because everyone was cracking up." "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" got exclusive access to actors emoting to mannequins on-set.</s>DENISE RICHARD, ACTRESS, "THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL": I hope you feel the same.</s>MOOS: Whose mouth is that? Actors are being replaced by spouses in tight shots. That's Denise Richards' husband's head.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Action.</s>MOOS (voice-over): No kissy-poo action for co-star Thorsten Kaye. There's a lot of smooching in the show "RIVERDALE" but these days they link arms and swig mouthwash. Their swishing is timed.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thirty seconds in.</s>MOOS (voice-over): Instead of staring romantically, they stare balefully until they crack up.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ten seconds to go.</s>MOOS (voice-over): KJ Apa and Camila Mendes had to spit in a baggie, which they mercifully didn't show. "Our new normal is washing our mouths before every take of a make-out scene."</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Remember how I used to stroke your hair?</s>MOOS (voice-over): "SNL" invented some COVID soap opera precautions of its own.</s>KATE MCKINNON, CAST MEMBER, NBC "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Take me, please, please.</s>MOOS (voice-over): But precautions give new meaning to that old lament --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, what are we doing?</s>MOOS (voice-over): Lawrence Saint-Victor was doing something right. "I mean, the soulful way he looked that mannequin straight in the eyeballs and kissed her. Give that man a Daytime Emmy now."</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You will never see her lips on another man.</s>MOOS (voice-over): Make that another mannequin -- Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.</s>CURNOW: This year is just getting so absurd, isn't it? Wow. Thanks to Jeanne for that. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. My lovely colleague, Kim, is joining you just after the break.

Biden Reaches across Political Divide in Pennsylvania; Physician Clears U.S. President to Return to Active Schedule; Coronavirus in Europe

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST (voice-over): Given the green light: the U.S. president is cleared to get back on the campaign trail as questions linger about his health. Also:</s>ROSE RODRIGUEZ, FURLOUGHED QANTAS EMPLOYEE: We all live check by check. But now it's not a check, it's a box.</s>BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Pushed to the limit, many families in the U.S. are going to sleep hungry with no end in sight to the pandemic. Some wonder how much longer they can last.</s>BRUNHUBER (voice-over): And it's not just in the U.S. Europe is also seeing worrying spikes in coronavirus cases. Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to you, our viewers, here in United States, in Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.</s>BRUNHUBER: Little more than a week after U.S. president Donald Trump announced his coronavirus diagnosis, his doctor has cleared him to return to an active schedule. In a memo, Dr. Sean Conley says is Mr. Trump is no longer a transmission risk and meets the CDC's criteria to stop isolating. But there are still so many things we don't know about the president's illness, including whether he has tested negative for the virus. Dr. Conley's memo does not say and Mr. Trump certainly was not waiting for that information to be made public before he started holding rallies again. Hours ago, he gave an outdoor speech at the White House to hundreds of tightly packed supporters. It was the president's first public event since his coronavirus diagnosis and he said, without evidence, that the virus is starting to go away.</s>TRUMP: We'll get rid of it. All over the world, you see big flare-ups in Europe, big flare-ups in Canada, a very big flare-up in Canada, you saw that today. A lot of flare-ups, but it's going to disappear. It is disappearing. And vaccines are going to help, and the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>BRUNHUBER: Now that memo from President Trump's doctor clearing him to leave isolation was full of positive news about the president's condition. But it did not give a lot of detail. Jeremy Diamond breaks down what we know and what we don't.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, is now clearing him for a return to public activities. Dr. Conley writing in a new memo released late Saturday night that the president is no longer considered a risk of transmission for the coronavirus to others. Now let me read you a part of this memo by Dr. Sean Conley, where he writes, "This evening I'm happy to report that in addition to the president meeting CDC criteria for the safe decision of isolation, this morning's COVID PCR sample demonstrates by currently recognize standards he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others. "Now at day 10 from symptom onset, fever free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus." The doctor goes on to say that he will continue to monitor the president's health as he returns to a more active schedule. Now President Trump, of course, did not wait for this memo before holding a event on the White House South lawn on Saturday. Trump did stay at quite a distance from the several hundred people who attended this event on the South Lawn of the White House. While most folks were wearing masks, they were not observing any social distancing, packed quite closely together just two weeks after the event at the Rose Garden of the White House that is now considered a superspreader event and perhaps the origin point for many of those positive coronavirus tests that we have since seen at the White House. President Trump needed this memo to get some more public confidence in his return to an active schedule. And that is exactly what he's going to be doing this coming week. He'll be hitting 3 battleground states, Florida, Iowa and Pennsylvania, this coming week -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.</s>BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is working to win independents and disaffected Republicans. He stopped in his birth state of Pennsylvania Saturday. He also linked America's current economic rose to the president's mishandling of the pandemic. CNN's Jessica Dean has more.</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigning in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday.</s>DEAN: He traveled here to Erie, Pennsylvania. It's in a county President Trump won narrowly in 2016 and it's tailor made for Biden's economic message that he's been delivering specifically to white working class voters in towns like Erie. Notably, Biden touring a train facility and a union hall before giving a message that can be described as his economic bread and butter message.</s>BIDEN: The top 100 billionaires in the middle of this pandemic, they made $300 billion additional. Hear me now? One hundred individuals made $300 billion this year. And what did the bottom half get? They got the kick, they got the slide down, because the fact is the president can only see the world from Park Avenue. I see it from Scranton, I see it from Claymont, for real. You all know what I'm talking about. Y'all see it from Erie.</s>DEAN: In the meantime, vice president Biden's campaign reported that he underwent PCR testing. That's the gold standard COVID test on Saturday and that test came back negative. The campaign has said that Joe Biden will be continued to be tested regularly and always when he travels -- Jessica Dean, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.</s>BRUNHUBER: The modeling that has often been looked at during this pandemic is giving the U.S. A serious wake up call. The model is based on current conditions, so let us look at what those are right. Now. As you can see there, most states are seeing an increase in cases compared to a week ago. Now at this hour, Johns Hopkins University has the number of lives lost in the U.S. at slightly more than 214,000. The University of Washington model projects a total of almost 400,000 COVID-19 deaths by February 1st. The model also says that social distancing mandates or lacked that number could go over half 1 million but that a model predicts that if almost everyone in the U.S. Wore masks, tens of thousands of lives could be saved. The current case counts in the U.S. is more than 7.7 million cases since March. Now, of course, that is a staggering figure. But a former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the actual number is likely five times higher. Dr. Tom Frieden speaking earlier at a CNN town hall says, that is why so many Americans have died.</s>DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: The death rate is a fact. And it's a tragedy. And we need not to get hardened to the reality that these are health care workers. These are mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, and it's going on every day. We are having 1000 more deaths. And next month, we're going to have 20,000 more deaths in the U.S. But we can turn this around if we understand that it's a matter of learning how to do one thing, right, which is, follow the science, be guided by the facts. Tell people what we know when we know it, work together, recognize we are all connected. You may not get sick at all from this, but you may spread it to someone who then dies or spreads it to someone else who dies. And that's why we all have to recognize that we're in this together. There's only one enemy, and that's the virus.</s>BRUNHUBER: And Dr. Julie Gerberding also used to head the CDC. She told the CNN town hall that mixed messages from public officials are undermining Americans' confidence in an eventual vaccine.</s>DR. JULIE GERBERDING, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: Americans can tolerate really tough truth, but it has to come from reliable and credible sources. And I think the other thing is consistency. One of the reasons that we have so much anxiety among the Americans is because they're hearing different things from different political leaders. We haven't consolidated and cascaded the messages from reliable sources. We kind of have a free for all, where everyone can invent their own interpretation of the truth. So if we want people to have trust in the vaccines, we have to tell them what we're doing and why we have to explain how we're managing the safety and the efficacy evaluation. We need to prepare them for whatever side effects we might realistically expect to occur. And then we have to keep them informed as we go forward.</s>BRUNHUBER: Global health experts say they are very worried about the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Europe, even more than in hotspots like the U.S. and Brazil. We're going to go live to our CNN reporters there. And from Iraq, a story in a family that is finding new hope despite the war, devastating loss and the coronavirus. Please stay with us.

Iraqi Woman Survives COVID-19 with Help from Autistic Son; Hunger in the Time of COVID-19

BRUNHUBER: Our top story this hour, Donald Trump's doctor has cleared him to return to an active schedule. In a memo Dr. Sean Conley says Mr. Trump is no longer a transmission risk and meets the CDC's criteria to stop isolating. So to talk about that, and other COVID issues, let's bring in Dr. Scott Miscovich, a family physician in Hawaii and an expert on coronavirus testing. Thanks so much for being with us again. Let's start with a memo from the president's doctor. We saw he said Mr. Trump is, quote, "no longer considered a transmission risk to others." Now the doctor cited the result of a COVID PCR sample as well as a mRNA test. What he said was, ambiguous at best. What do you make of? It</s>DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, FAMILY PHYSICIAN AND NATIONAL CONSULTANT: I would say, I agree. They are following guidelines with CDC to say that, if you are 10 days into the diagnosis then one day after no symptoms, no fever, you can be released. So we don't go with the 14- day mark anymore. It can be 10 days plus one if there are no symptoms. Now what most of us are raising our eyebrows about is the PCR. The PCR is so sensitive, if you read the CDC guidelines, you are not supposed to repeat a PCR for 90 days after the initial diagnosis.</s>MISCOVICH: And it's because it is so sensitive it's almost always positive for at least 3 weeks, probably up to 45. Many patients we have are positive for 90 days after they have it.</s>BRUNHUBER: So what about the mRNA test? Does that give us any more clues then?</s>MISCOVICH: Now I think they are being very ambiguous as you stated. That does not give you the information for you to say that the patient, that the president is not a transmission risk. The other thing, that test is not used broadly, it's not used by the CDC, it's not used by standard state. To use that as the definition as to why he's not a transmission risk I don't think any of us would really be looking at that as valid.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right, so if you were in the audience, wherever he was, you wouldn't necessarily be confident he wouldn't be transmitting. He did give a speech yesterday, he's going to be holding rallies. He has a fairly taxing campaign schedule. What's the chance of a relapse? And the situation getting much worse, based on what you've seen with patients? Especially ones who are older.</s>MISCOVICH: Actually I think he's fared quite well. I've seen some of the clips of him looking at the way he's moving and breathing. Remember, he would have a lot of shortness of breath and fatigue. I think he's actually recovered quite well. So the chances that he would have a relapse, most of us would feel as quite low. Does he have any other side effects or any other symptoms that we're not aware of? He's not showing us that he does. Again, I would be looking at these rallies, that people would be heeding the advice of wearing masks and social distancing because we all have to lead by example for that. Hopefully we will see that for the rest of the people in the audience watching out for that.</s>BRUNHUBER: Yes, for what we've seen so far that seems unlikely. In that address from the balcony, the president said, it's going to disappear, it is disappearing, which is what he said in February. And as "The Washington Post" pointed out, more than 213,000 people have died since then. So obviously, it is not disappearing. What's your sense of where the country is right now?</s>MISCOVICH: The biggest issue we are all worried about, as earlier we talked about the projections from the University of Washington, which we all respect, is we're going into the winter season. We go indoors, we don't have open windows, we have rooms where we're sharing the same air. That's how flu spreads. So we are all very concerned, after Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's that January and February will be devastating. So unless America really understands to wear the masks, even though you're home for the holidays, to do social distancing, to use the right ventilation, we could have a very serious first quarter of the next year. And we're all worried about. That</s>BRUNHUBER: All right, we will definitely be following this. Thank you so much for speaking with us, Dr. Scott Miscovich. Appreciate. It</s>MISCOVICH: Thank you.</s>BRUNHUBER: And much of Europe is also struggling again to control the coronavirus even though the region appeared to have largely contained it. Some countries are having to bring back strict coronavirus restrictions. And one of them is France. On Saturday, the country hit yet another all-time high and COVID-19 cases just after day after it broke the previous record. And the British prime minister is expected to announce new restrictions on Monday to try to end a new surge of cases there. So let's bring in our correspondent who's in London. But first to Melissa Bell in Paris. Melissa, just give us the latest there. We were just talking yesterday about the record number of cases. And today we get a new record.</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It is the third record set this week for France. And, of course, the fear with that, as we see more and more people testing negative and the positivity rate is another figure, it's 11 percent nationally, put that into context, on the 1st of September it was just about 4 percent. That's how quickly it is risen. And as you has a positivity rise and a number of new cases rising with each day and with each week, getting worse and worse, the effect that it'll take a little while to filter through that you get more people entering the ICU. This is the real figure to look at. Just to give you a bit of an idea, we are just about shy now of 1,500 people in ICUs who are COVID-19 patients. Again, on the 1st of September, it was 26. That's how quickly it is risen. Fresh restrictions as you mention from Saturday here on France, several towns entering maximum alert zone, that we have been in in Paris now for more than a week with those fresh restrictions.</s>BELL: The question is will they act fast enough, will they have an effect quickly enough to protect the health care system? What we're hearing from inside is a lot of fear that that may not be the case.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right, thank you so much, Melissa Bell in Paris. Let's go to now to Salma Abdelaziz in London. Restrictions there in England as well?</s>SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Kim, that is what we are waiting to find out here. Prime minister Boris Johnson will be making a statement to the House of Commons on Monday. And this really comes after a week of confusion and worry across the U.K., in which various reports were leaked to the media. They believe that there would be new and tougher restrictions imposed particularly in the north. Those did not come through. So much of the country is going to be having their eyes on the prime minister Monday, waiting for him to clarify what the country's position is, particularly because the country is in a perilous moment. COVID restrictions need to be taken if the U.K. is to avoid a second wave. The fear and the worry is that the U.K. government is not acting quickly enough. Again, there's been so much criticism of the way Boris Johnson's government has handled this pandemic. And again we are hearing controversy before he's even stepped out. But what we are expecting on Monday is a clear set of steps that would carve up the country in 3 tiered levels, depending on the rate of infection and the number of cases in those areas, and based on a geographic region, you will be subject to different restrictions, based on a number of cases and the rate of infection in that area. So all eyes on the House of Commons as the country waits for clarification and in understanding what happens. Next</s>BRUNHUBER: All right, ,thank you so much, Salma Abdelaziz in London. Well India is now reporting more than 7 million COVID-19 cases. That is the most in the world after the U.S. The 7 million mark was passed as the Indian health ministry reported more than 74,000 new cases in the past 24 hours. And also reports that more than 108,000 people have killed died because the virus. And Brazil has now surpassed more than 150,000 COVID deaths, second only to the U.S. But hordes of people crammed into a department store on Saturday with just total disregard for social distancing. You can see the store owner there firing up the crowds. He is now a vocal supporter of president Bolsonaro, who, of course, downplayed the virus. CNN Brazil said police ordered the store closed hours later. Well, CNN has been following the story of an Iraqi woman through years of hardship as she endured sanctions, war and corruption. After all that, she's recently recovered from COVID-19. She did it with the help of her 19-year-old autistic son. And she told Arwa Damon, this pandemic has a lesson for all of. Us</s>ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "I tell you that we shouldn't use black. It's sad," Nahla gently reminds her son. Nineteen year old Ussayid is autistic. He uses colors, not words to communicate the depths of his anguish. Nahla can sit next to him now. We assure him that she's OK. After Nahla and her husband contracted COVID-19, Ussayid had to care for them, a reflection of just how dire the situation of hospitals is in Iraq. "My first thought was, what if Ussayid also catches it?" she says. "I was scared, I was shaken." I will never forget the first time I met Nahla shortly after her first husband, Ussayid's father, was killed in a car bomb in 2007. She spoke in gentle tones after about having to identify the love of her life from a photograph of his teeth and a metal pin to his knee. His body was so charred and melted along with nine others. How she felt as if she was wearing a cloak of death, that life lost its color, becoming black and white. Ussayid was just 6 years old at the time. Four years later, Nahla looked transformed. She spoke with pride about how Ussayid had just transferred out of the special needs school but that he still carried darkness inside because of the death of his father, a darkness that came out in his drawings, a cloud with rain painted over in black. "We worked for years to get him away from the black of death," she says. "Corona brought the black back into his drawings." That in so many ways is the story of Iraq, a nation whose history is more defined by death and bloodshed than the beauty of its people.</s>DAMON (voice-over): The beauty of people like Nahla, fighting for her country's soul. "I always say there is a positive side of any struggle," she tells us. "The positive side is that we discovered that my son has more capabilities than what we thought." She feels as if Iraqis as a whole are discovering how strong they are when they come together. "We are saving each other by uniting during COVID-19 and not looking toward the government," she explains. "We could possibly emerge from coronavirus with a great lesson," she continues, "but we should we should all be united to find the beginning of a path of light." And that is a lesson for us all -- Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.</s>BRUNHUBER: That's a great story. Iran is mandating masks in its capital, Tehran, as the country tries to curb a growing death toll from the coronavirus. The president announced on Saturday that anyone who violates the mask mandate will be fined. More than 28,000 people have died from the virus and the country's health ministry reported 195 new deaths on Saturday, ,along with almost 3,900 new cases. Iran is the worst country hit in the region and it's also struggling with a an economy crippled by U.S. sanctions. Still to come in the NEWSROOM. President Trump just lost a big court challenge on early voting in a battleground state. How he's still trying to sow doubt over the integrity of the election. And the latest battleground over voting is now the ballot box. We'll show you how difficult it is to vote in Texas under a controversial order from the governor. Please stay with us.

Trump's False Claims, Ballot Rules, Cyber Attacks Stoke Concerns

BRUNHUBER: And welcome back to you, our viewers in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM. A federal judge in Pennsylvania has denied a Trump campaign effort to make campaign drop boxes in the state unconstitutional. This continues as Trump continues to spread more false claims about potential voter fraud. Abby Phillip explains.</s>CEDRICK BROWN, DETROIT VOTER: I'm not comfortable sending my ballot through the mail. I'd rather just come in and drop it off.</s>ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As millions of voters begin casting their ballots in person or by mail, the Postal Service acknowledging in court documents that there has been a significant drop in first class on time mail delivery. The USPS saying it will increase staffing and make other changes to fix the problem. In battleground Michigan, voting is ramping up and so are the worries from voters.</s>MARTEZ ROBERTSON, DETROIT VOTER: I want to personally make sure it got handed in. With all the talk of problems with the mail and that sort of thing, I wanted to be sure.</s>PHILLIP: In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott is facing at least two separate federal lawsuits after he issued an executive order restricting ballot drop boxes to one per county because he feels they'll be more secure. Opponents say this is no less than voter suppression.</s>CHRIS HOLLINS, HARRIS COUNTY CLERK: To make it so that our voters who have disabilities, our elderly voters have to drive over an hour, more than 50 miles in some cases to drop off their mail ballot, it's unfair, it's prejudicial and it's dangerous.</s>PHILLIP: Millions of voters have just hours left to register to vote for the 2020 general election, including competitive states like Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Already some 2.6 million general election ballots have been cast according to CNN and Edison researchers survey of election officials in 24 states reporting voting data. And in six of those states where party data is available, registered Democrats make up more than half of the ballots returned. In Pennsylvania, ongoing disputes over the changing ballot rules, poll watchers, new voting machines and the spread of disinformation are adding to the challenges some from the President himself.</s>TRUMP: They had Trump written on it and they were thrown in a garbage can and this is what's going to happen.</s>PHILLIP: Today we are also learning about a new cyber security threat. CNN has obtained an e-mail from the Democratic National Committee warning campaigns about fraudulent Team Blue Take Action e- mails sent by a hacking group with malicious attachments.</s>BRUNHUBER: Abby Phillip reporting there. On Saturday federal appeals allowed the governor to allow only one location per county for ballot drop boxes to stay in place for now. So for millions of Americans voting by absentee ballot, uncertainty and inconvenience have become central themes of this year's election. In Texas that means many may have to travel long distances. Ed Lavandera shows us what they face.</s>ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to Harris County, Texas. There are 2.4 million registered voters in this county. And if you're one of those voters who is skeptical of voting in person because of the coronavirus pandemic, or you're concerned that the postal service won't get your ballot to the elections office in time, county officials here had set up 12 satellite drop boxes where people could drive their mail-in ballots and then drop them off at these locations across the county. But the governor of Texas has ordered all counties across the state to close all of those down and that they can only have one of those satellite drop boxes open in the weeks leading up to the election. So, this is the story of what it will take to get to that ballot box in Harris County. It's just after 9:00 in the morning. We are in the far northeast corner of Harris County. The only drop box now available in this county is at NRG Football Stadium, which is 45 miles away. But one of the locations that was closed down was just over 20 miles, so it's kind of along the way so we're going to drive by that location first. Harris County, which includes the city of Houston, is nearly 1,800 square miles, much larger than Rhode Island. This county building is one of the 11 drop sites that was shut down by Governor Greg Abbott.</s>LAVANDERA: It took us about 31 minutes to get here. It's where we met Peaches Sullivan, who was dropping off voter registration forms for nursing home residents.</s>PEACHES SULLIVAN, NURSING HOME ASSISTANT: People are still worried. Why would you risk being -- having people come out even more when they don't have to, especially with the preexisting conditions that they have.</s>LAVANDERA: This is a drive where you're going to see -- it's almost a slice of America. You'll see a little bit of everything on this drive from northeast Harris County to NRG Stadium where this drop box location is. Of course, critics of the governor say this is really just a masquerade way of suppressing voter turnout, making it more difficult for voting populations in highly Democratic towns like Houston and Austin to be able to safely submit their votes in the age of this COVID pandemic. The Texas governor says his decision will increase ballot security and help stop illegal voting, though there are no widespread problems with voter fraud. So, this is the one drop box ballot site in Harris County. Harris County clerk, Chris Hollins, says the Texas governor's move to close down the ballot drop sites is an abuse of power.</s>CHRIS HOLLINS, HARRIS COUNTY CLERK: To make it so that our voters who have disabilities, our elderly voters, have to drive over an hour, more than 50 miles in some cases, to drop off their mail ballot, it's unfair, it's prejudicial and it's dangerous.</s>LAVANDERA: The drive took us about an hour and eight minutes, So round trip, you're looking at about two hours and 15 minutes. And quite honestly, it was an easy drive. We caught the traffic at a good time. It was actually relatively smooth sailing considering how bad traffic can get in the city -- Ed Lavandera, CNN, Harris County, Texas.</s>BRUNHUBER: CNN was first to view a new Joe Biden campaign ad featuring Cindy McCain, the widow of Arizona Republican senator John McCain. Cindy McCain has endorsed Biden for president and it's called "Like John Did," making the case that Biden is a leader who can cross party lines and unite the country.</s>CINDY MCCAIN, JOHN MCCAIN'S WIDOW (voice-over): In the Senate, they disagreed on almost everything. They'd fight like hell on the floor and then they'd go eat lunch together because they always put their friendship and their country first. Now, more than ever, we need a president who will put service before self.</s>BRUNHUBER: U.S. leaders are still at a stalemate over a new COVID 19 stimulus package. Meanwhile, millions of American children are not getting enough to eat. We'll bring you the story of a mother furloughed because of the pandemic. Also, North Korea's largest latest weapon. Experts think it could be the largest ballistic missile. We'll tell you how powerful it might be. Stay with us.

Biden Reaches Across Political Divide In Pennsylvania; Debate Canceled After Trump Refuses Virtual Format

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST (voice-over): President Trump is cleared to return to a public schedule but this doesn't mean he's tested negative for COVID yet. Coronavirus cases are surging in countries across Europe. What's being done about this second wave, we'll explain. And North Korea unveils a new weapon during a parade this weekend. Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to you our viewers here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I am Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.</s>BRUNHUBER: U.S. president Donald Trump has received the all-clear from his doctor in his bout with COVID-19. It was just last weekend that the president was in the hospital. On Saturday he reappeared publicly to briefly address supporters crowded on the White House lawn and tell them the coronavirus was disappearing. Soon afterward a memo from Dr. Sean Conley announced the president no longer appeared to be contagious and could resume his public activities but the doctor's cheery note left questions about the president's health after such a serious disease. We have details from CNN's Jeremy Diamond.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, is now clearing him for a return to public activities. Dr. Conley writing in a new memo released late Saturday night that the president is no longer considered a risk of transmission for the coronavirus to others. Now let me read you a part of this memo by Dr. Sean Conley, where he writes, "This evening I'm happy to report that in addition to the president meeting CDC criteria for the safe decision of isolation, this morning's COVID PCR sample demonstrates by currently recognize standards he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others. "Now at day 10 from symptom onset, fever free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus." The doctor goes on to say that he will continue to monitor the president's health as he returns to a more active schedule. Now President Trump, of course, did not wait for this memo before holding a event on the White House South lawn on Saturday. Trump did stay at quite a distance from the several hundred people who attended this event on the South Lawn of the White House. While most folks were wearing masks, they were not observing any social distancing, packed quite closely together just two weeks after the event at the Rose Garden of the White House that is now considered a superspreader event and perhaps the origin point for many of those positive coronavirus tests that we have since seen at the White House. President Trump needed this memo to get some more public confidence in his return to an active schedule. And that is exactly what he's going to be doing this coming week. He'll be hitting 3 battleground states, Florida, Iowa and Pennsylvania, this coming week -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.</s>BRUNHUBER: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is reaching out to independent voters and disaffected Republicans. Biden returned on Saturday to Pennsylvania where he was born, telling voters he'd work just as hard for those who don't support him as those who do. He also linked America's current economic woes to the president's mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. CNN's Jessica Dean has more.</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigning in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday. He traveled here to Erie, Pennsylvania. It's in a county President Trump won narrowly in 2016 and it's tailor made for Biden's economic message that he's been delivering specifically to white working class voters in towns like Erie. Notably, Biden touring a train facility and a union hall before giving a message that can be described as his economic bread and butter message.</s>JOE BIDEN (D-DE), FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The top 100 billionaires in the middle of this pandemic, they made $300 billion additional. Hear me now? One hundred individuals made $300 billion this year. And what did the bottom half get? They got the kick, they got the slide down, because the fact is the president can only see the world from Park Avenue. I see it from Scranton, I see it from Claymont, for real. You all know what I'm talking about. You all see it from Erie.</s>DEAN: In the meantime, vice president Biden's campaign reported that he underwent PCR testing. That's the gold standard COVID test on Saturday.</s>DEAN: And that test came back negative. The campaign has said that Joe Biden will be continued to be tested regularly and always when he travels -- Jessica Dean, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right. For more on all this let's bring in Thomas Gift in Oxford, England. He's director of the Center for U.S. politics at University College London. Thanks so much for joining us. As we just heard, Joe Biden campaigning in Pennsylvania, courting some who voted for Mr. Trump in 2016. Any evidence he's making headway?</s>THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, I think, based on the polls, Kim, Biden does seem to be courting disaffected Trump voters. That is essential if he wants to flip states from red to blue. Pennsylvania is where Biden is from and my home state. Biden has been crisscrossing that state in places like Erie and Gettysburg. A new Quinnipiac poll shows he holds a lead in Pennsylvania, which Trump won in 2016 by less than a percentage point. I think key to converting those Trump voters in parts of the mid- Atlantic and the Rust Belt is appealing not only to the rim counties of some of these major cities but also emphasizing this clear economic message in smaller towns, predicated on Trump's failures to deliver on his pledge to bring back blue-collar jobs hit by globalization and automation. I think given national unemployment numbers that are still reeling from COVID-19, Biden has a real opportunity to flip some of these disillusioned Trump voters with a pragmatic economic message.</s>BRUNHUBER: And money helps as well. Biden has been spending big, in particular now pouring money into states that once, you know, basically looked out of reach here in Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Iowa. I read, according to advertising analytics, he'll double the present spending. Biden has a lot more money to spend. What are we to make of that fact and the effect going into the last weeks of the campaign?</s>GIFT: Well, Kim, in politics, money definitely tends to follow the leader and that's what we've seen here with Biden. He started last month with $466 million in cash reserves. That's roughly $141 million more than Trump had -- that's a really sharp reversal, I think, it should be said, in the numbers compared to the beginning of the election season, where it was Trump's campaign team with the much bigger war chest. Right now, there is less than a month to go before the election so both candidates are going to be going on spending sprees. I think there is more evidence that how money is spent is more crucial than how much money is spent. But clearly the fact that Biden can outspend Trump puts him at an advantage at reaching more voters and for sustained periods. The large donations that have funneled to his campaign, especially after Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court, give Biden the resources to expand and solidify his ground game and also to pay for a real barrage of ad buys.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right. Let's turn to the president now. I'm interested in the crowd that the president had as his first public event since his diagnosis. The crowd was made up mostly of Black and Latino people, who were invited by Blexit, that wants draw Black and minority voters from the Democratic Party. The Black vote largely assumed to break almost exclusively for Democrats but it might actually surprise people to hear that the president's support among African Americans has actually grown since 2016. Any idea why that is? And if it might have any effect on the race?</s>GIFT: Well, I still think it's an uphill battle for Trump in courting Black voters. Trump says that Black voters are embracing his pro-job, pro-police agenda and rejecting what he calls a radical social agenda of the Left. That is basically his words. So he's trying to make the case also that, pre-COVID especially, unemployment rates among Black Americans were trending toward record lows. And he's saying he's in the best position now to speak to real kitchen table issues that many Black Americans are grappling with. I think the problem for Trump, though, is that any inroads he might be able to make with Black voters are largely overwhelmed by his history of race baiting; his inability, for example, in the last debate to categorically condemn a white nationalist group and the general tendency to aggravate rather than heal racial divisions in the United States. I actually feel like a place where Trump has been making even more progress than -- among the Black vote is among Latino voters, where you are seeing some enthusiasm for the president that perhaps you didn't see in 2016.</s>BRUNHUBER: Yes, and especially Florida, a key battleground state.</s>GIFT: Right.</s>BRUNHUBER: Now many Republican strategists are still scratching their heads at the president's decision not to do the virtual debate, which meant that it was canceled.</s>BRUNHUBER: Conventional wisdom is, if you're down in the polls, you want a chance to lay a few blows on your opponent, with millions watching on TV. It's the front-runner's advantage to skip out on it to avoid making mistakes. So what's the thinking there? Is it because of the format? Because obviously the town hall didn't go that well for the president when he did one last month.</s>GIFT: I think your assessment is right on, Kim. I think Trump definitely sees a clear tension here in deciding whether to debate. On the one hand, a typical candidate, as you said, who is trailing nationally in the polls, especially by the margins that Trump is, would jump at getting on stage with roughly three weeks left until the election. Any chance you have to get in front of the American people, make your case, isn't an opportunity you want to squander. On the other hand, the general consensus is that Trump's performance in the first debate didn't do him in the favors. I think that's putting it mildly. And the polls that have come out since September seem to bear that out. So the last thing Trump wants to do is repeat his performance from the first go-around. And ultimately the Trump team campaign has done the cost-benefit analysis. And I guess they feel the political pros of sitting out this debate outweigh the political cons. I'm sure there was a lot of internal dissension, which could lead to Monday morning quarterbacking if Trump can't turn this around soon.</s>BRUNHUBER: Seems like rally, rally, rally. Thank you so much, Thomas Gift. We appreciate you coming on.</s>GIFT: Thank you, Kim.</s>BRUNHUBER: The model that has often been looked at during this pandemic is giving the U.S. a serious wake up call. The model is based on current conditions, so let us look at what those are right. Now. As you can see there, most states are seeing an increase in cases compared to a week ago. Now at this hour, Johns Hopkins University has the number of lives lost in the U.S. at slightly more than 214,000. The University of Washington model projects a total of almost 400,000 COVID-19 deaths by February 1st. The model also says that if social distancing mandates are relaxed that number could go over half a million but that same model predicts that if almost everyone in the U.S. wore masks, tens of thousands of lives could be saved. Europe's worst day for COVID-19 may be yet to come. When we come back, live reports from Paris and London for a look at some disturbing new trends. And a little later on, the pandemic has devastated the airline industry and tens of thousands of its employees. We're going to show you one flight attendant's tearful goodbye. Stay with us.

Coronavirus In Europe; Cuba's Economy Suffers From COVID-19 Safety Measures.

BRUNHUBER: For months, there have been warnings about a second wave of COVID-19 striking Europe. But instead of just shadowing the first wave, well, this round may be even worse. France has set another daily record reporting almost 27,000 new infections in the past 24 hours. The Netherlands also reached its highest daily number. And Poland has been breaking its record for four days straight. Italy has yet to surpass its highest daily tally set in March, 6,500 cases. But it came close on Saturday, reporting almost 5,800. All right, for more let's bring in CNN's Salma Abdelaziz in London, where a top English medical officer says they are at a tipping point. But first to our Melissa Bell in Paris. Melissa, we were just talking yesterday about France, you know, breaking a record and today again a new record.</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. More than 26,000 new cases announced on Saturday night. It is the third record in a week set in France in terms of the new cases. As you mentioned, that's being repeated across the European continent; the Netherlands, Portugal both setting fresh records on Saturday and a number of countries introduced in the last few days fresh measures. Madrid now on total lockdown. Countries like Belgium having closed their bars and restaurants, four cities in France closing their bars and cafes yesterday. So a number of countries trying to take measures. But still, with those record rises, of course, the fear will be over the course of the next couple weeks how that will translate into the number of people who are seriously ill and need to end up in ICU. The figures here in Paris remain extremely worrying; already an emergency plan has been triggered for the greater Paris region because, when you have day after day those record rises, what you see, a couple weeks later, are record rises in terms of people entering ICUs. And ICU beds kept for COVID patients are limited. Already some cities warning some operations, some emergency care is going to have to be put aside in order to deal with what authorities fear could be a flood of COVID-19 patients entering ICU over the next few weeks.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right, thank you for that, Melissa Bell in Paris. Let's go now to Salma Abdelaziz. Possibly more restrictions in the U.K.?</s>SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, Kim, we are expecting more an announcement from Boris Johnson on Monday. But we just saw a statement from one of the country's top scientists, saying they are reaching a tipping point, that more deaths will follow in the coming weeks and decisive action need to be taken if history were not to repeat itself. Of course, referencing the pandemic in the spring. The prime minister's statement is really coming after a very confusing and worrying week across the U.K. where we've seen the number of cases nearly double; now almost a quarter million cases across the country. We've heard from the country's health secretary, saying the country is in a perilous moment. We've seen a rise in hospitalizations in the north, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, all of these cities dealing with the resurgence in the virus. We've heard very little from 10 Downing Street. So people are asking questions, what are the next steps? What will be taking place? Am I under stricter measures? And when does all of that start?</s>ABDELAZIZ: These are the answers that prime minister Boris Johnson has to give to the House of Commons on Monday. While we don't know the content of the announcement, there have been reports to local media that the country is considering a three-tiered system, similar to what's happening in France, where you carve out the country geographically. Each area is put in one of three levels based on its rate of infection. Those at the highest level 3 will have to face tougher restrictions including the shutting down of pubs and restaurants, banning mixing households. And potentially there's a financial package to help businesses that have to shut their doors. But again, what we're hearing over and over from experts is the prime minister needs to come out, he needs to provide clear and simple instruction to the public if we are to stem this second wave, Kim.</s>BRUNHUBER: Yes, so crucial in every country. Thank you so much, Salma, in London.</s>BRUNHUBER: For more on all of this I'm joined by Dr. Peter Drobac, an infectious disease and global health expert at the University of Oxford. Thank you so much again for joining us. So we just heard there about the worrying situation across much of Western Europe. How worried should we be that, as the cold weather approaches, we see, you know, a return of some of the scenes from earlier in the year, when the surge was at its worst? Or generally speaking, you know, have we increased capacity, treatment, testing and so on that, as bad as things might get, the worst generally speaking is behind -- behind you in Europe?</s>DR. PETER DROBAC, INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND GLOBAL HEALTH EXPERT, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD: I wish it were but this is really an alarming time actually, Kim. And thank you for having me. We all knew that there was a real risk as we move into winter and everyone is forced back indoors. There was, of course, going to be a risk of a second surge. What's been really surprising I think is the rate with which things are really getting bad. And we've seen alarming increases in new case rates across much of Europe, certainly here in the U.K. And as we just heard, also increasing numbers of hospitalizations and also ICU admissions. So really showing that this is real. It's hard to compare case numbers to where we were in March. Testing capacity is so much greater now. But it's clear that, at least in some countries, we're starting to see hospital and ICU admission rates that are maybe 10 days behind where we were when things really got bad back in the spring. So we, I think, have every right to be concerned about the situation. And we're on one of those exponential growth pathways again, which means there's really no time to waste and, unfortunately, having to implement stronger restrictions.</s>BRUNHUBER: Well, then, you know, with those as we are seeing, you know, in Europe and also here in the U.S., you know, places like New York. With more restrictions, we also see more resistance to those restrictions, you know. With protests, we've seen court cases and so on. You know, pandemic fatigue is almost as prevalent as the pandemic itself. Is there a cure for that? Because obviously, if people get sick enough of the restrictions and the measures, they won't follow them, which exacerbates the crisis and so on.</s>DROBAC: I think it's natural to be fatigued by what we've all been through. And I think most of your viewers around the world have experienced lockdown or something like it at some point in recent months. And we're all desperate to get back to normal. That's why these coming weeks and months are going to be so difficult because we need to take action that's quite strong. But there's a lot more resistance to doing so. I don't know that there's a cure for it. But what we really need, first off, is clear consistent and science-based communication from our leaders. One of the things that's been lacking, certainly in the U.K. and some other settings, has been a comprehensive kind of long-term strategy. So we seem to lurch from really severe restrictions to almost being encouraged to get back to normal and get back out there and go on holiday and go to restaurants. And we're swinging back and forth. We need to realize we're still in the early phases of this pandemic. Even, if and when a vaccine comes, it won't be a magic bullet. So we need a strategy that's going to allow us to save lives, save the economy, get something back to normal but really look on the order of months and even the next couple of years as opposed to looking a couple weeks in advance.</s>BRUNHUBER: Wow, that's what a lot of leaders don't want to hear, of course. You know, as we're seeing here perhaps to distract from the fairly dire COVID situation in the U.S., President Trump pointed to the worsening situations in other parts of the world. He said, quote, big flare-ups in Europe, big flare-ups in Canada, which is right. Some Republicans that I speak to like pointing out that all the countries like Canada and Germany that were so high and mighty, you know, talking about making everyone wearing masks and so on, are seeing huge spikes. So they say it's proof that these measures don't work.</s>BRUNHUBER: The virus is going to do its thing and we might as well just open up everything back. So you know, is there any merit to that argument? How do you fight back against that argument?</s>DROBAC: I agree with you, Kim, this is probably mostly intended to distract from the failures of the U.S. response. But look, this is not a competition, right. We should be cooperating to find the best ways to get through this and to suppress the virus. The question we should be asking is what's happening in New Zealand, in Japan, in South Korea, in Taiwan, in Thailand that's allowing them to suppress or even eliminate the transmission of the virus to levels that they're able to actually get pretty well back to normal. They're having sporting events with full stadiums, people out in bars and restaurants and they're working. Their economic hit is far less than countries that struggled. They don't have something we don't have. It's not like they have some magical technology, that they have greater resources than we have in Europe or the United States. We should be asking, what can we learn from them.</s>BRUNHUBER: I want to tap into your expertise here, you know, on the virus itself and how it affects people. We know that people who are obese have higher risks of hospitalization. I think it's double the risk. But there's a new warning from the CDC that even moderately excess weight may increase the odds of severe disease. So obviously that could put a lot of us much more at risk. So how much weight are we talking about here and what might the increased risk be?</s>DROBAC: There are dozens of studies now that demonstrate an association between overweight and obesity and an increased risk of more severe disease, hospitalization and death. And as you said, amongst those who are obese compared with those with healthy weight, it's about 13 percent risk of increase, a 50 percent increase of death Interesting, though, there's almost a linear increase in risk as body mass index increases above normal. So even those who are mildly overweight with a BMI of the 25 to 30 range, which is not a range that a lot of people would consider, you know, very much overweight. There is some increased risk and that just continues to go up as BMI increases. And, of course, with the rates of overweight and obesity in the United States, that means quite a number of people are at higher risk.</s>BRUNHUBER: A good warning for all of us. Dr. Peter Drobac, we appreciate it. Thank you so much.</s>DROBAC: Thank you.</s>BRUNHUBER: Well, with the U.S. election just about three weeks away, President Trump has been actively sowing distrust about mail-in ballots and that has many voters worried. Ahead, destruction and devastation. We'll look at the aftermath of Hurricane Delta after it made landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Stay with us.

Ballot Rules, Cyber Attacks Stoke Concerns; Hurricane Delta Aftermath

BRUNHUBER: And welcome back to you our viewers in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM. President Trump will be back campaigning this week after being stricken with COVID-19. His doctor issued a memo late Saturday, saying the president no longer appeared to be contagious and is safe to leave isolation. Now it's still not known if he has tested negative for the virus. But even before the doctor's announcement, hundreds of supporters crowded the White House lawn at he made his first appearance since last Monday. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he told them the coronavirus was disappearing. Democratic challenger Joe Biden who announced his latest COVID test was negative campaigned in the battle ground state of Pennsylvania. His message to voters, the Trump administration's economic policies have been a huge windfall for the wealthy but not for working class families. Millions of Americans have already cast their votes. And with fears and confusion over the security of mail-in ballots nationwide, many people are taking no chances to be sure their vote gets delivered on time. We get more on that from CNN's Abby Phillip.</s>CEDRICK BROWN, DETROIT VOTER: I'm not comfortable sending my ballot through the mail. I'd rather just come in and drop it off.</s>ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As millions of voters begin casting their ballots in person or by mail, the Postal Service acknowledging in court documents that there has been a significant drop in first class on time mail delivery. The USPS saying it will increase staffing and make other changes to fix the problem. In battleground Michigan, voting is ramping up and so are the worries from voters.</s>MARTEZ ROBERTSON, DETROIT VOTER: I want to personally make sure it got handed in. With all the talk of problems with the mail and that sort of thing, I wanted to be sure.</s>PHILLIP: In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott is facing at least two separate federal lawsuits after he issued an executive order restricting ballot drop boxes to one per county because he feels they'll be more secure. Opponents say this is no less than voter suppression.</s>CHRIS HOLLINS, HARRIS COUNTY CLERK: To make it so that our voters who have disabilities, our elderly voters have to drive over an hour, more than 50 miles in some cases to drop off their mail ballot, it's unfair, it's prejudicial and it's dangerous.</s>PHILLIP: Millions of voters have just hours left to register to vote for the 2020 general election, including competitive states like Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas. Already some 2.6 million general election ballots have been cast according to CNN and Edison researchers survey of election officials in 24 states reporting voting data. And in six of those states where party data is available, registered Democrats make up more than half of the ballots returned. In Pennsylvania, ongoing disputes over the changing ballot rules, poll watchers, new voting machines and the spread of disinformation are adding to the challenges some from the President himself.</s>TRUMP: They had Trump written on it and they were thrown in a garbage can and this is what's going to happen.</s>PHILLIP: Today we are also learning about a new cyber security threat. CNN has obtained an e-mail from the Democratic National Committee warning campaigns about fraudulent Team Blue Take Action e-mails sent by a hacking group with malicious attachments.</s>BRUNHUBER: That was CNN's Abby Phillip reporting there. And on Saturday, a federal appeals court allowed governor Greg Abbott's directive to remain in place for now. It allows for just one ballot drop box per county in Texas.</s>BRUNHUBER: Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate Republicans are both blasting President Trump's latest stimulus proposal but for different reasons. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls the $1.8 trillion offer "insufficient" and "one step forward, two steps back" while Senate Republicans are indicating they think the amount is too high. The stalemate almost ensures the Congress won't pass another stimulus package before Election Day. And the squabble in Washington is affecting millions of people, especially airline workers, who are facing furloughs by the tens of thousands. Pete Muntean has more on how they're suffering.</s>BREAUNNA ROSS, FLIGHT ATTENDANT: As all of you know, the airline industry has been impacted greatly by this global pandemic.</s>PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When flight attendant Breaunna Ross addressed the passengers of her American Airlines flight, she didn't expect to leave them with a tearful goodbye.</s>ROSS: For myself and one other crew member on our flight today, this means we will be furloughed October 1. And, unfortunately, this was my last working flight before that day comes.</s>MUNTEAN: Airlines say they will recall Ross and the roughly 50,000 workers they cut last week, but only if they get $25 billion in a new stimulus bill. New tweets from President Trump have thrown a deal into disarray. It's the latest breakdown in talks with House Democrats that airlines call disheartening.</s>ROSS: People see numbers on TV, but we are real people that are really struggling right now.</s>MUNTEAN: Ross says she's living on savings from her last few months on the job. Just furloughed workers say new federal help is their best hope; 8,000 flight attendants at American Airlines alone are now looking for jobs.</s>ALLIE MALIS, FLIGHT ATTENDANT: It's been a roller coaster. It's -- we have been high. We have been low. We have been on the verge of making this happen for so long and then for it to all just fall apart.</s>MUNTEAN: In a new letter, airline unions are urging Congress to pass a stand-alone stimulus for airlines. President Trump tweeted his support, but House leaders stress the bill failed you in the Senate. Airline unions say lawmakers must end this stimulus standoff, with workers caught in the middle.</s>SARA NELSON, PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: These are people who have been on the front lines since the beginning of this virus. Hiding is cruel and it's got to be reversed.</s>PROTESTERS: Save our jobs. Save our jobs.</s>MUNTEAN: There could be more furloughs if Congress does not act. Delta says it will furlough 1700 pilots starting November 1st. Southwest says its employees could face pay cuts without federal help -- Pete Muntean, Reagan National Airport.</s>BRUNHUBER (voice-over): What you're seeing there is devastation and destruction. Images from the U.S. state of Louisiana after Hurricane Delta made landfall Friday night. It's now categorized as a post tropical cyclone. At its worst, the storm knocked out power to a quarter of the state's residents. It downed power lines and trees and severely damaged homes. Luckily, no deaths have been reported. Heavy rain and flooding were a big problem. Delta dropped more than a foot of rain on Louisiana. The storm also has affected other southern U.S. states, putting millions under flash flood watches.</s>BRUNHUBER: And thousands of National Guard troops are in Louisiana helping emergency crews as residents reel from back to back storms. CNN's Martin Savidge has more from Lake Charles.</s>MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It turns out that Hurricane Delta was not the destructive killer that had been feared. Still, the governor of Louisiana said it had a greater impact on the western part of Louisiana than they had expected, primarily in the issue of knocking out power. More people lost power during Delta than they did during the more powerful Laura 6 weeks ago. The governor says at the height of the outages during Delta, 25 percent of all electricity customers in the state lost power. The good news is that it's not expected to take weeks to restore. The other good news, so far, no deaths attributed to the storm, although I'll underline "so far." The awful irony here in Lake Charles is that this community was so devastated by Hurricane Laura at the end of August, it's really hard to tell where the damage of one hurricane ends and where the destruction of the next storm begins. But we do know there is additional destruction here. We know that by the blue tarps, which were put there by the homeowners starting to make very basic repairs. Now blue tarps are torn, shredded, ripped and strewn all over Lake Charles. That means the homes have been damaged again and homeowner and all the people who live in them will have to start over again, which they are already doing, relying on the help of their friends and neighbors in their community again -- Martin Savidge, CNN, Lake Charles, Louisiana.</s>BRUNHUBER: And if you're looking for ways to help those impacted by Hurricane Delta, the "Impact Our World" team can show you how.</s>BRUNHUBER: Just go to cnn.com/impact and we'll continue updating the impact world page with more information that comes available. Well, it was a rare admission by North Korea's leader. He says his economic plans have failed. Just ahead, how that didn't stop the country from unveiling what could be the world's largest ballistic missile. Stay with us.

North Korea Unveils Enormous Ballistic Missile

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): What you're looking at there is what analysts say could be one of the world's largest ballistic missiles. North Korea unveiled it at a parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Workers Party.</s>BRUNHUBER: South Korea's military said it would maintain full readiness to respond immediately to any North Korean threats. Our Will Ripley has more.</s>WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Back on New Year's Day, January 1st of this year, when Kim Jong-un promised to unveil a new strategic weapon. That was, of course, before the COVID-19 pandemic ground the world to a halt and left the hermetically sealed Hermit Kingdom more isolated than ever. Now we're getting our first look at what many analysts believe is that weapon, one of the largest world's largest ballistic missiles. It's massive. It's carried by an 11 axle truck. At the climax of an almost 2-hour military parade in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. I've covered these parades many times over the years and they always bring them out at the end, do it for the drama. The ground is actually shaking beneath your feet as they pass by. Experts are telling us this missile right here could potentially carry multiple warheads, only increasing the threat to the mainland United States, despite dozens of "love letters" between President Trump and Kim Jong-un -- Trump's words, not mine. This is the kind of thing that North Korea would typically love to showcase for the foreign media, including CNN, who has been invited almost every year. But this year things are different.</s>RIPLEY (voice-over): Borders are closed due to COVID-19, essentially shutting down trade in an already struggling economy, battered by international sanctions over its nuclear program. A widespread COVID-19 pandemic inside North Korea -- keep in mind, they have very limited, outdated medical resources. That would be catastrophic. This year we barely saw Kim Jong-un in public when compared to previous years. He disappeared from public view for weeks on end, leading to speculation about his health. But Kim appeared to be back in full form at this military parade, staged in the middle of the night with slick special effects, including a drone flyby. Certainly, the most dramatic North Korean military parade I've ever seen. Perhaps the most drama came from Kim himself, dressed in a gray suit and appeared to be almost crying, sobbing at times, tears rolling down his cheeks as he thanked the North Korean people for their hard work during exceptionally hard times. North Korea has been absolutely battered this year, faced crippling sanctions over the nuclear missile programs, the economic catastrophe of closing the border because of the pandemic and natural disasters like a massive typhoon and flooding. Things got so bad in North Korea that Kim did something that his grandfather and father never did. He admitted that his economic plans were a failure and that millions of his people, already scraping by, are suffering. That was reflected in his face and echoed by his audience. Many people were heard crying right along with him. North Korea may struggle for food and electricity but they did show the world their missile program is only getting stronger -- Will Ripley, CNN, Hong Kong.</s>BRUNHUBER: A shaky cease-fire appears to be holding in the province of Nagorno-Karabakh where Armenia and Azerbaijan have been battling for two weeks. As CNN's Nick Paton Walsh tells us, the big question is, can it hold long enough for the two sides to establish a more permanent peace?</s>NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: For the most part, it does appear there is some good news emerging from the escalating conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenian-backed forces in the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh. A cease-fire was declared at noon local time Saturday. And for some parts, that appears at least to have been adhered to in name. Now both sides agreed to this under the auspices of the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov. Both foreign ministers summoned to Moscow and late on Friday night it was announced this cease-fire would go into place. It is supposed to enable the exchange of prisoners for the dead to be collected from the battlefield after two weeks, frankly, in which hundreds have died. Many of them civilians during intense shelling, it's fair to say, by both sides. But today this day, Saturday, has not been a clear picture of peace for the slightest. Both sides accusing the other of violating the cease-fire. Azerbaijan accusing Armenia of shelling some of its cities, saying they tried to fire a Scud missile. Azerbaijan said it used an S-300 system to take out of the air, according to a tweet from Azerbaijani presidential aide. At the same time Armenian-backed forces at the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh also sustained shell fire. Both the accused sides deny, of course, they had something to do with this. And it is often common, sometimes, in cease-fires, to see occasional violations. The question here really is whether or not this cease-fire, sustained in spirit, if we see these tit-for-tat exchanges escalate. It's common to see accusations like this after two weeks of bitter fighting. But the next phase is supposed to be trying to formulate some sort of broader political settlement here. Further negotiations using a settlement process hasn't really functioned particularly well over the past years but will be put back into the fray again to try and get some sign of conclusion here or calming of the violence. Russia finally stepping in with this diplomatic pressure to get both sides to agree to stop the fighting. Turkey also vying for influence in Russia's near abroad has been rhetorically, and some accuse, practically accusing the Azerbaijani offensive that's proven pretty high-tech and pretty well resourced. It appears to have taken some ground from Armenia. But the escalating casualties here and the increased risk that Moscow rancor could be drawn fully into a conflict by this means the cease-fire is good news. As I say, it is not perfect. There are clearly violations on both sides that both sides seem to wish to deny. But it remains to be seen whether or not they will withdraw from it in principle over the next phase of negotiations that can, in fact, begin to go forward -- Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, London.</s>BRUNHUBER: After the break, we'll take you to Cuba, where a COVID- related border closure and the lack of tourists is crippling the economy. Please stay with us.

Key Model Projects Over 394,000 U.S. COVID-19 Deaths By February; Physician Clears U.S. President To Return To Active Schedule; Coronavirus In Europe

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST (voice-over): President Trump is cleared for the campaign trail by his doctor but we still don't know when he last received a negative COVID test. Meanwhile, a projection suggests the United States could be in for a catastrophic winter with the death toll closing in on 400,000 by February. And it isn't just the U.S.; we're in Paris as a record number of daily cases hit France. Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to you, our viewers in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.</s>BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Donald Trump has received the all clear from his doctor in his bout with COVID-19. It was last weekend that the president was in the hospital. Saturday he reappeared publicly to address supporters crowded on the White House lawn and tell them -- falsely -- that the coronavirus was disappearing.</s>TRUMP: Through the power of the American spirit, I think more than anything else, science, medicine will eradicate the China virus more and all. We'll get rid of it. All over the world, you see big flare-ups in Europe, big flare-ups in Canada, a very big flare-up in Canada, you saw that today. A lot of flare-ups, but it's going to disappear. It is disappearing. And vaccines are going to help, and the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>BRUNHUBER: And soon after that event, the president's doctor released him from isolation, saying he no longer appeared contagious. But the doctor's cheery note left many unanswered questions about the president's health after such a serious disease. We get the details now from CNN's Jeremy Diamond.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, is now clearing him for a return to public activities. Dr. Conley writing in a new memo released late Saturday night that the president is no longer considered a risk of transmission for the coronavirus to others. Now let me read you a part of this memo by Dr. Sean Conley, where he writes, "This evening I'm happy to report that in addition to the president meeting CDC criteria for the safe decision of isolation, this morning's COVID PCR sample demonstrates by currently recognize standards he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others. "Now at day 10 from symptom onset, fever free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus." The doctor goes on to say that he will continue to monitor the president's health as he returns to a more active schedule. Now President Trump, of course, did not wait for this memo before holding a event on the White House South lawn on Saturday. Trump did stay at quite a distance from the several hundred people who attended this event on the South Lawn of the White House. While most folks were wearing masks, they were not observing any social distancing, packed quite closely together just two weeks after the event at the Rose Garden of the White House that is now considered a superspreader event and perhaps the origin point for many of those positive coronavirus tests that we have since seen at the White House. President Trump needed this memo to get some more public confidence in his return to an active schedule. And that is exactly what he's going to be doing this coming week. He'll be hitting 3 battleground states, Florida, Iowa and Pennsylvania, this coming week -- Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.</s>BRUNHUBER: A new COVID projection is giving the United States a grim wake-up call. The model is based on current conditions and, as you can tell there, most states are seeing an increase in cases, compared to a week ago. Johns Hopkins University puts the number of U.S. coronavirus deaths now at more than 214,000. But the University of Washington model projects an enormous increase to more than 394,000 COVID-19 deaths by February 1st. The model also says if social distancing mandates are relaxed, that number could easily surpass half a million. But that same model predicts if almost everyone in the U.S. wore masks, tens of thousands of lives could be saved. President Trump may insist the coronavirus is disappearing but he's not a doctor or nurse on the front lines of this pandemic. Listen to what this emergency room physician told CNN's Erica Hill.</s>DR. MEGAN RANNEY, BROWN UNIVERSITY EMERGENCY MEDICINE: Myself, I'm an ER doc.</s>RANNEY: And my colleagues across the country, we are all seeing increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients who are coming into our ERs and are getting really sick, requiring intensive care and hospitalization. We did see those spikes in numbers, that were largely younger people about a month ago going back to college. But what we're seeing now is it's starting to spread within the community. And we're all deeply afraid this is the start of that dreaded second wave. We still don't have adequate personal protective equipment for physicians and nurses on the front lines across the country. We still don't have adequate testing supplies. And as you and I just discussed, we still don't have a cure.</s>BRUNHUBER: The current case count in the U.S. is more than 7.7 million cases since March. Of course, that's a staggering figure. But a former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the actual number is five times higher. Dr. Tom Frieden, speaking earlier at a CNN town hall, said that's why so many Americans have died.</s>DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: The death rate is a fact. And it's a tragedy. And we need not to get hardened to the reality that these are health care workers. These are mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, and it's going on every day. We are having 1000 more deaths. And next month, we're going to have 20,000 more deaths in the U.S. But we can turn this around if we understand that it's a matter of learning how to do one thing, right, which is, follow the science, be guided by the facts. Tell people what we know when we know it, work together, recognize we are all connected. You may not get sick at all from this, but you may spread it to someone who then dies or spreads it to someone else who dies. And that's why we all have to recognize that we're in this together. There's only one enemy, and that's the virus.</s>BRUNHUBER: And Dr. Julie Gerberding also used to head the CDC. She told the CNN town hall that mixed messages from public officials are undermining Americans' confidence in an eventual vaccine.</s>DR. JULIE GERBERDING, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: Americans can tolerate really tough truth, but it has to come from reliable and credible sources. And I think the other thing is consistency. One of the reasons that we have so much anxiety among the Americans is because they're hearing different things from different political leaders. We haven't consolidated and cascaded the messages from reliable sources. We kind of have a free for all, where everyone can invent their own interpretation of the truth. So if we want people to have trust in the vaccines, we have to tell them what we're doing and why we have to explain how we're managing the safety and the efficacy evaluation. We need to prepare them for whatever side effects we might realistically expect to occur. And then we have to keep them informed as we go forward.</s>BRUNHUBER: Let's bring in Dr. Scott Miscovich, a family physician in Hawaii and an expert on coronavirus testing. Thanks so much for being with us again. Let's start with a memo from the president's doctor. We saw he said Mr. Trump is, quote, "no longer considered a transmission risk to others." Now the doctor cited the result of a COVID PCR sample as well as a mRNA test. What he said was, ambiguous at best. What do you make of it?</s>DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, FAMILY PHYSICIAN AND NATIONAL CONSULTANT: I would say, I agree. They are following guidelines with CDC to say that, if you are 10 days into the diagnosis then one day after no symptoms, no fever, you can be released. So we don't go with the 14-day mark anymore. It can be 10 days plus one if there are no symptoms. Now what most of us are raising our eyebrows about is the PCR. The PCR is so sensitive, if you read the CDC guidelines, you are not supposed to repeat a PCR for 90 days after the initial diagnosis. And it's because it is so sensitive it's almost always positive for at least 3 weeks, probably up to 45. Many patients we have are positive for 90 days after they have it.</s>BRUNHUBER: So what about the mRNA test? Does that give us any more clues then?</s>MISCOVICH: Now I think they are being very ambiguous as you stated. That does not give you the information for you to say that the patient, that the president is not a transmission risk. The other thing, that test is not used broadly, it's not used by the CDC, it's not used by standard state. To use that as the definition as to why he's not a transmission risk I don't think any of us would really be looking at that as valid.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right, so if you were in the audience, wherever he was, you wouldn't necessarily be confident he wouldn't be transmitting.</s>BRUNHUBER: He did give a speech yesterday, he's going to be holding rallies. He has a fairly taxing campaign schedule. What's the chance of a relapse? And the situation getting much worse, based on what you've seen with patients? Especially ones who are older.</s>MISCOVICH: Actually I think he's fared quite well. I've seen some of the clips of him looking at the way he's moving and breathing. Remember, he would have a lot of shortness of breath and fatigue. I think he's actually recovered quite well. So the chances that he would have a relapse, most of us would feel as quite low. Does he have any other side effects or any other symptoms that we're not aware of? He's not showing us that he does. Again, I would be looking at these rallies, that people would be heeding the advice of wearing masks and social distancing because we all have to lead by example for that. Hopefully we will see that for the rest of the people in the audience watching out for that.</s>BRUNHUBER: Yes, for what we've seen so far that seems unlikely. In that address from the balcony, the president said, it's going to disappear, it is disappearing, which is what he said in February. And as "The Washington Post" pointed out, more than 213,000 people have died since then. So obviously, it is not disappearing. What's your sense of where the country is right now?</s>MISCOVICH: The biggest issue we are all worried about, as earlier we talked about the projections from the University of Washington, which we all respect, is we're going into the winter season. We go indoors, we don't have open windows, we have rooms where we're sharing the same air. That's how flu spreads. So we are all very concerned, after Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's that January and February will be devastating. So unless America really understands to wear the masks, even though you're home for the holidays, to do social distancing, to use the right ventilation, we could have a very serious first quarter of the next year. And we're all worried about. That</s>BRUNHUBER: All right, we will definitely be following this. Thank you so much for speaking with us, Dr. Scott Miscovich. Appreciate. It</s>MISCOVICH: Thank you.</s>BRUNHUBER: A top health official has a dire warning about the second wave of COVID-19 in England. We'll go live to Paris and to London for the worrisome details. And from Iraq, the story of a family finding new hope despite a war, devastating loss and the coronavirus. Stay with us for that.

Iraqi Woman Survives COVID-19 With Help From Autistic Son

BRUNHUBER: For months there have been warnings about a second wave of COVID-19 striking Europe. But instead of just shadowing the first wave, this round may be even worse. France set another daily record reporting almost 27,000 new infections in the past 24 hours. The Netherlands also reached its highest daily number. And Poland has been breaking its record for four straight days. Now Italy has yet to surpass its highest daily tally set in March, more than 6,500 cases. But it came close on Saturday, reporting almost 5,800. And as British authorities try to enforce COVID restrictions, a senior medical official warns England is at a tipping point. They say a repeat of the spring outbreak can be stopped but only if people act now. So for more, let's go to CNN's Salma Abdelaziz from London. As a top English medical official said, the country is at a tipping point. But actually, let's go first to Melissa Bell in Paris. Melissa, we talked yesterday, France had set a new record and a new record set again today.</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Is it the third time this week, Kim, that a fresh record has been set here in France, more than 26,000 new cases announced on Saturday night. And, of course, that has all kinds of consequences looking ahead for the next couple of weeks in terms of the number of people who are likely then to be entering ICU. Already here in the greater Paris region, we're at a 40 percent of ICU bed occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients. Once we get to 60 percent, that's one main criteria for pushing Paris beyond the maximum alert category into what would be referred to here in France as a state of sanitary emergency. That would bring with it some form of partial lockdown. So the numbers are extremely worrying because they tend to indicate that, over the next couple of weeks, this figure, the figure of people entering ICU, will continue to increase. In fact, according to the projections of regional Parisian hospital services, we will be meeting that more than 60 percent by the end of this month. So what we have seen in other countries, already, for instance, in Spain, where the Spanish capital is on partial lockdown, this is something almost likely going to be considered here in France at some point, given those record rises this week. And, again it just a question of projecting one's self a couple of weeks from now.</s>BRUNHUBER: Very worrying there. Melissa Bell in Paris. Let's go to Salma Abdelaziz in London. We were talking about restrictions in France, the U.K. pondering new restrictions now as well.</s>SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: Absolutely, Kim. This all comes after a really worrying and confusing week across the country. We just heard from one of its top scientists, the deputy chief medical officer, saying the country reached a tipping point and there will be more deaths in the coming weeks. Decisive action needs to be taken, he said, otherwise history will repeat itself, a reference to the pandemic in the spring. Very worrying words there but they are backed up by the data. We had the number of cases nearly double in one week's time. You now have a nearly quarter million coronavirus cases across the country. There is a rise -- a resurgence of the virus in the north of the country, in particular where rates of hospitalizations are increasing rapidly.</s>ABDELAZIZ: You have a city like Newcastle up north, where the university reported 1,000 confirmed cases. And as this week has unfolded, by and large, the government of prime minister Boris Johnson has been silent. And they have drawn criticism for it. Now on Monday, he is expected to address the House of Commons. And while we don't know the content of that announcement, according to leaked media reports, what the government is considering is a three- tiered system very similar to what is happening in France. Essentially you cut up the country geographically, put each region at one of these three levels, based on the rate of infection and number of cases. If an area is found to be at the highest level, level three, as is expected in the north of the country, then extra restrictions will be imposed. Those could include shutting down restaurants and bars, banning the mixing of households and potentially some sort of economic relief package for those businesses that will have to close their doors. All eyes now are on prime minister Boris Johnson's statement on Monday. We keep hearing from experts over and over again, from the British Medical Association, from the top scientists, the important thing to do now is to provide clear and simple instruction to the public to stem these -- this rise in cases. Kim?</s>BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. All right, thank you so much, Salma Abdelaziz in London. India now has surpassed seven million COVID-19 cases. On Sunday, the country's health minister reported more than 74,000 new cases. They also reported over 900 deaths, bringing the death toll to more than 108,000. And India is now a close second to the U.S. in the number of cases globally. And then Brazil, Brazil has surpassed 150,000 COVID deaths, total second only to the U.S. But as you can see here, that didn't stop hordes of people from cramming into a department store on Saturday with, as you can see, a total disregard for social distancing. And that guy, that's the store owner, he's firing up the crowds. He's a vocal supporter of president Jair Bolsonaro, who has downplayed the virus. An affiliate, CNN Brazil, says police ordered the store closed hours later. Iran is mandating masks in its capital, Tehran, as the country tries to curb a growing death toll from the coronavirus. Iran's president announced on Saturday that anyone who violates the mask mandate will be fined. More than 28,000 people have died from the virus in Iran and the country's health ministry reported 195 new deaths on Saturday, along with almost 3,900 new cases. Iran is the worst hit country in the region and is also struggling with an economy that is crippled by U.S. sanctions. Well, CNN has been following the story of an Iraqi woman through years of hardship as she endured sanctions, war and corruption. And then after all that, she recently recovered from COVID-19 with the help of her 19-year-old autistic son. She tells Arwa Damon this pandemic has a lesson for all of us.</s>ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "I tell you that we shouldn't use black. It's sad," Nahla gently reminds her son. Nineteen year old Ussayid is autistic. He uses colors, not words to communicate the depths of his anguish. Nahla can sit next to him now. We assure him that she's OK. After Nahla and her husband contracted COVID-19, Ussayid had to care for them, a reflection of just how dire the situation of hospitals is in Iraq. "My first thought was, what if Ussayid also catches it?" she says. "I was scared, I was shaken." I will never forget the first time I met Nahla shortly after her first husband, Ussayid's father, was killed in a car bomb in 2007. She spoke in gentle tones after about having to identify the love of her life from a photograph of his teeth and a metal pin to his knee. His body was so charred and melted along with nine others. How she felt as if she was wearing a cloak of death, that life lost its color, becoming black and white. Ussayid was just 6 years old at the time. Four years later, Nahla looked transformed. She spoke with pride about how Ussayid had just transferred out of the special needs school but that he still carried darkness inside because of the death of his father, a darkness that came out in his drawings, a cloud with rain painted over in black. "We worked for years to get him away from the black of death," she says. "Corona brought the black back into his drawings." That in so many ways is the story of Iraq, a nation whose history is more defined by death and bloodshed than the beauty of its people. The beauty of people like Nahla, fighting for her country's soul.</s>DAMON (voice-over): "I always say there is a positive side of any struggle," she tells us. "The positive side is that we discovered that my son has more capabilities than what we thought." She feels as if Iraqis as a whole are discovering how strong they are when they come together. "We are saving each other by uniting during COVID-19 and not looking toward the government," she explains. "We could possibly emerge from coronavirus with a great lesson," she continues, "but we should we should all be united to find the beginning of a path of light." And that is a lesson for us all -- Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.</s>BRUNHUBER: What a touching story there. U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is not taking his lead in the polls for granted. He's reaching out to independent voters and disillusioned Republicans. We'll bring his message to them -- next. And New Zealand is getting ready to vote in a parliamentary general election. We'll look at the current leader and her chances of re- election. Stay with us.

Biden Reaches Across Political Divide In Pennsylvania; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Hopes For Reelection

BRUNHUBER: And welcome back to you, our viewers in the United States and around the world. President Trump will be back out campaigning this week after being stricken with COVID-19. His doctors issued a memo late Saturday, saying Mr. Trump no longer appeared to be contagious and is safe to leave isolation.</s>BRUNHUBER: But it is still not known if he's tested negative for the virus. Even before the doctor's announcement, hundreds of supporters crowded the White House lawn as the president made his first public appearance after leaving the hospital last Monday. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he told them the coronavirus was disappearing. Now while President Trump rallies at the White House, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is out trying to win over independent voters and disaffected Republicans. CNN's Jessica Dean followed Biden on the campaign trail as he made his case to voters in the state where he was born, Pennsylvania.</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigning in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday. He traveled here to Erie, Pennsylvania. It's in a county President Trump won narrowly in 2016 and it's tailor made for Biden's economic message that he's been delivering specifically to white working class voters in towns like Erie. Notably, Biden touring a train facility and a union hall before giving a message that can be described as his economic bread and butter message.</s>BIDEN: The top 100 billionaires in the middle of this pandemic, they made $300 billion additional. Hear me now? One hundred individuals made $300 billion this year. And what did the bottom half get? They got the kick, they got the slide down, because the fact is the president can only see the world from Park Avenue. I see it from Scranton, I see it from Claymont, for real. You all know what I'm talking about. Y'all see it from Erie.</s>DEAN: In the meantime, vice president Biden's campaign reported that he underwent PCR testing. That's the gold standard COVID test on Saturday and that test came back negative. The campaign has said that Joe Biden will be continued to be tested regularly and always when he travels -- Jessica Dean, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.</s>BRUNHUBER: The Democratic presidential nominee is leading comfortably in national polls. And that's, in part, thanks to scenes like this, senior citizens throwing their support behind Joe Biden rather than the Republican. Now of course, that's likely making President Trump nervous and with good reason. Have a look at the numbers here. A recent CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds that 60 percent of likely voters over the age of 65 plan to choose Biden. Now Joe Biden is also touting his endorsements from across the political aisle as he tries to win over potential voters. His campaign on Saturday unveiled its first television ad featuring Cindy McCain, the widow of Republican senator and war hero John McCain. She says Biden's friendship with her late husband shows he can unite the country.</s>CINDY MCCAIN, JOHN MCCAIN'S WIDOW (voice-over): Now, more than ever, we need a president who will put service before self; a president who will lead with courage and compassion, not ego; a president who will respect the sacrifices made by our service members and their families; a president who will honor our fallen heroes and a president who will bring out the best in us, not the worst.</s>BRUNHUBER: The full minute-long ad is running in McCain's home state of Arizona, a key battleground state this election. And it will air nationally later.</s>BRUNHUBER: For more on all this let's bring in Thomas Gift in Oxford, England. He's director of the Center for U.S. politics at University College London. Thanks so much for joining us. As we just heard, Joe Biden campaigning in Pennsylvania, courting some who voted for Mr. Trump in 2016. Any evidence he's making headway?</s>THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, I think, based on the polls, Kim, Biden does seem to be courting disaffected Trump voters. That is essential if he wants to flip states from red to blue. Pennsylvania is where Biden is from and my home state. Biden has been crisscrossing that state in places like Erie and Gettysburg. A new Quinnipiac poll shows he holds a lead in Pennsylvania, which Trump won in 2016 by less than a percentage point. I think key to converting those Trump voters in parts of the mid- Atlantic and the Rust Belt is appealing not only to the rim counties of some of these major cities but also emphasizing this clear economic message in smaller towns, predicated on Trump's failures to deliver on his pledge to bring back blue collar jobs hit by globalization and automation. I think given national unemployment numbers that are still reeling from COVID-19, Biden has a real opportunity to flip some of these disillusioned Trump voters with a pragmatic economic message.</s>BRUNHUBER: And money helps as well.</s>BRUNHUBER: Biden has been spending big, in particular now pouring money into states that once, you know, basically looked out of reach here in Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Iowa. I read, according to advertising analytics, he'll double the present spending. Biden has a lot more money to spend. What are we to make of that fact and the effect going into the last weeks of the campaign?</s>GIFT: Well, Kim, in politics, money definitely tends to follow the leader and that's what we've seen here with Biden. He started last month with $466 million in cash reserves. That's roughly $141 million more than Trump had -- that's a really sharp reversal, I think, it should be said, in the numbers compared to the beginning of the election season, where it was Trump's campaign team with the much bigger war chest. Right now there is less than a month to go before the election so both candidates are going to be going on spending sprees. I think there is more evidence that how money is spent is more crucial than how much money is spent. But clearly the fact that Biden can outspend Trump puts him at an advantage at reaching more voters and for sustained periods. The large donations that have funneled to his campaign, especially after Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court, give Biden the resources to expand and solidify his ground game and also to pay for a real barrage of ad buys.</s>BRUNHUBER: All right. Let's turn to the president now. I'm interested in the crowd that the president had as his first public event since his diagnosis. The crowd was made up mostly of Black and Latino people, who were invited by Blexit, that wants draw Black and minority voters from the Democratic Party. The Black vote largely assumed to break almost exclusively for Democrats but it might actually surprise people to hear that the president's support among African Americans has actually grown since 2016. Any idea why that is? And if it might have any effect on the race?</s>GIFT: Well, I still think it's an uphill battle for Trump in courting Black voters. Trump says that Black voters are embracing his pro-job, pro-police agenda and rejecting what he calls a radical social agenda of the Left. That is basically his words. So he's trying to make the case also that, pre-COVID especially, unemployment rates among Black Americans were trending toward record lows. And he's saying he's in the best position now to speak to real kitchen table issues that many Black Americans are grappling with. I think the problem for Trump, though, is that any inroads he might be able to make with Black voters are largely overwhelmed by his history of race baiting; his inability, for example, in the last debate to categorically condemn a white nationalist group and the general tendency to aggravate rather than heal racial divisions in the United States. I actually feel like a place where Trump has been making even more progress than -- among the Black vote is among Latino voters, where you are seeing some enthusiasm for the president that perhaps you didn't see in 2016.</s>BRUNHUBER: And that was Thomas Gift. A federal judge has denied the Trump campaign and Republican Party's bid to make ballot drop boxes in Pennsylvania unconstitutional. It is a major defeat for the Trump team, which sought to challenge several voting policy policies in the key swing state. The judge upheld policies that allowed a voter's signature on mail-in ballots to deviate a bit from the one on file with the state and the judge said poll workers must live in the county where they will work on Election Day. The Trump campaign says it will appeal the rulings and called Pennsylvania's voting system radical. But the state's attorney general called the ruling a win for voters and democracy. Now the judge, who, by the way, was appointed by President Trump, also rejected the president's and Republicans' concerns about voter fraud. He said they failed to show that fraud is certainly impending. Democrats in the House and Senate Republicans are both blasting President Trump's latest stimulus proposal but for different reasons. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the $1.8 trillion offer "insufficient" and "one step forward, two steps back." Senate Republicans think the amount is too high. A stalemate almost ensures that Congress will not pass another stimulus package before Election Day. Turning now to New Zealand, people in New Zealand go to the polls to elect a new government in just six days. It is the latest crucial test for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. But as Ivan Watson tells us, opposition parties are sharpening their attacks.</s>IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fierce loyalty for Jacinda Ardern at her high school alma mater. New Zealand's 40-year-old prime minister has led her country through three once-in-a-generation crises.</s>JACINDA ARDERN, NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER: We've had a terrorist attack, a natural disaster and a global pandemic. But in those tough times we have seen the best of us.</s>WATSON (voice-over): Now an election looms and Ardern is running on her COVID-19 record.</s>ARDERN: We're just having a bit of an earthquake here, Ryan.</s>WATSON (voice-over): A virus that killed over 1 million people around the world, only claimed the lives of 25 New Zealanders. And after shutting down early, New Zealand is now almost completely back to normal. But a double-digit hit to GDP and the question of how to pay for the recovery has given Ardern's election opponent an opportunity.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cancel borrowed money.</s>ARDERN: That is fear.</s>WATSON (voice-over): National party leader Judith Collins said she would be a better steward of the economy. And people are listening, including in the town where the prime minister grew up.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I guess we would have to be proud of her. I mean, she's a pretty special person and she's very popular overseas. But we -- here in the party, we could probably wrap up and send her over there.</s>WATSON (voice-over): The ruling Labor Party won't be banking on many votes from the nearly 8,000 people here in Warrensville. This is a safe conservative seat. Many here say new environmental controls are too tough on farmers and that Ardern is loose with the country's pursestrings.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The spending is just too much. And it is going to send the country broke.</s>WATSON (voice-over): But others here who knew the young Jacinda say they understand what drives her.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think she's always had this bent, that she needs to try to help people who have a tough life, to have a better life. And I think we have seen that in her politics today.</s>WATSON (voice-over): Not many countries are led by a relatively young woman from a modest background. But whoever wins this election, New Zealand's next prime minister will be a woman.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is globally extremely rare. But I don't think New Zealand is viewed as rare any longer.</s>WATSON (voice-over): Jenny Shipley was New Zealand's first female prime minister.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The public wants to see New Zealand, they want to see who we are reflected in their leaders. And I think we have achieved that.</s>WATSON (voice-over): Polls have Ardern in the lead, enjoying public confidence earned over a tumultuous time in office -- Ivan Watson, CNN.</s>BRUNHUBER: There was a rare admission by North Korea's leader. He says his economic plans have failed. But just ahead, how the secretive nation is still pushing forward with a dramatic new weapon of war. Plus, we look at the fragile cease-fire now in effect between Azerbaijan and Armenia and we'll explain what they have been fighting over. Stay with us.

Fauci: Trump Ad Twisted My Words; White House Offers $1.8 Trillion Stimulus Offer; Biden Campaign Still Deflecting Court-Packing Questions; Former CDC Director Predicts More Death From Coronavirus In October; Airline Industry Needs Bailout From Stimulus Package.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill in for Ana Cabrera. And we begin his hour with a CNN exclusive. The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, expressing outrage after he was featured in a misleading ad for the Trump campaign without his knowledge.</s>ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more.</s>HILL: Dr. Fauci telling CNN bluntly the words you heard in that ad were taken out of context. We'll have more on his response and what the White House is now saying. But first, just a week after leaving the hospital with coronavirus, the president now scrambling to make up for lost time, scheduling three large rallies for this week, telling his supporters on twitter, he got a, "total and complete sign-off from White House doctors." He then, though, took it a step further, claiming without evidence, he is now immune to the virus. Twitter flagging this tweet as misleading. Meantime, the Trump team is pushing for this week's debate to be reinstated. Remember, of course, it was canceled because President Trump refused to debate Joe Biden virtually. Well now, the president's team says it should be held in person because he's been medically cleared. We are also closely watching the stalled stimulus talks. Millions of Americans wonder if help is ever coming. Right now, there's bipartisan opposition to the president's $1.8 trillion offer. Democrats say it's too little. Republicans say it's too much. And while they dig in their heels again, remember, millions of Americans are left hanging. So, what is the White House's next move?</s>LARRY KUDLOW, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER: Look, I don't want to get into the specific legislative strategy, Jake, but I will say from the president's remarks late last week, he is happy on the key targeted areas that I mentioned. He would actually go beyond what some of the Democratic numbers are.</s>HILL: So White House may offer more money than Democrats even ask for? If you're confused, well, at this point, you are not alone. Let's get right to CNN's Jeremy Diamond who is live at the White House. So, Jeremy, I do want to begin with the CNN exclusive. Dr. Fauci not happy, clearly, with this new ad from the Trump campaign. What more do we know?</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, no question. And look, I went through Fauci's initial interview where he makes these comments and it's very clear that he is talking about the government's coordinated response, the work of him and other of the government's public health experts, not President Trump himself as this ad makes it sound. And so, Dr. Fauci telling CNN in the statement, "In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials." The Trump campaign, for its part, they are also responding. The Trump campaign's communications director Tim Murtaugh saying, "These are Dr. Fauci's own words. The video is from a nationally broadcast television interview in which Dr. Fauci was praising the work of the Trump administration. The words spoken are accurate and directly from Dr. Fauci's mouth." Now, it is clear from what we have seen that Dr. Fauci's words were taken out of context. What is also clear, Erica, is that the Trump campaign is clearly recognizing that not only do nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of President Trump's handling of the coronavirus, but they also trust Dr. Fauci's word about the coronavirus far more than they trust the president's, which may be why they tried to use Dr. Fauci's image without his permission, of course, in this campaign ad.</s>HILL: Yes, that may be the reason. Jeremy, I also just want to get an update here on where we stand with the stimulus negotiations. So, the Senate GOP scoffing really at the president's offer to Nancy Pelosi of $1.8 trillion. And then today there were some more confusing things, frankly coming from White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow. Do we know where things stand at this point?</s>DIAMOND: Well, and before you even get to Larry Kudlow's comments, I mean, earlier in the week you have President Trump saying a deal -- there was no deal going to be happening, negotiations were stopping. And then he made clear that he wanted a deal and increasing quite substantially the White House's offer to House Democrats for what they wanted. But today Larry Kudlow is now saying that, perhaps, this stimulus isn't really necessary. Listen.</s>JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: But you agree that a stimulus package needs to pass, there needs to be one, right, and you're hoping to do it in the next three weeks?</s>KUDLOW: I don't think, Jake, I mean, I don't want to parse, but I don't think the recovery is dependent on it. Look, we've had 11 million businesses --</s>TAPPER: That's not what the fed chair says.</s>KUDLOW: -- are reopening. We are learning to deal with the virus in a targeted, safe, prevented way.</s>TAPPER: No, we're not.</s>KUDLOW: So, it's not dependent. All I'm saying is some targeted assistance would go a long way (inaudible).</s>TAPPER: We're not learning to live with the virus, Larry. We just had four days in a row of more than 50,000 infections. The death rate is the highest in the world.</s>DIAMOND: Now, despite those comments from Larry Kudlow, the White House is pushing this deal. And in fact, Kudlow himself, despite saying that perhaps the economy could get along without stimulus, also said that President Trump might be willing to go further than the $1.8 trillion offer on the table now. But really, Erica, it appears that this is going nowhere fast. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that it is unlikely that a stimulus deal will be reached before the election. Erica?</s>HILL: Jeremy Diamond with the latest for us. Jeremy, thank you. Joining me now, CNN senior political analyst John Avlon and CNN political commentator and host of PBS' "Firing Line" Margaret Hoover. So Margaret, first to you. I mean, this is pretty remarkable I think for Dr. Fauci, who, you know, at all times wants to be as apolitical and uninvolved in politics as possible. For him to put out this very clearly, strongly-worded statement and the White House or I should say the Trump campaign pushing back there, Margaret, what do you make of all this day?</s>MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, you can understand, frankly, both party's position. Dr. Fauci is one of the most trusted public health individuals and experts in this country. He is the one that even President Trump, if you recall several weeks ago, months ago, suggested, why does everybody like Dr. Fauci more than me, right? I mean, so --</s>JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: A couple reasons for that.</s>HOOVER: -- this is somebody that people regardless of your political stripes, listen to and respect. You can understand why they would want to take his words out of context, not put a date on a political ad in order to make the point that Dr. Fauci says exactly what Donald Trump says, I'm doing the best job of -- who nobody could do any better than I'm doing.</s>AVLON: Right.</s>HOOVER: For somebody whose very job depends on having the confidence of people regardless of their political stripes, it's necessary for him to clarify his position in order for people to recognize that the Trump campaign is acting out of school here.</s>AVLON: Yeah. But, I mean, look, the reality is that they've been attacking and undercutting Dr. Fauci for months, in part out of spite because he's more trusted than the president and in part because he hasn't toed the party line because his focus is on the national interest and not Donald Trump's interest. And now for them to hug him tight three weeks out of the election is contradictory, but it speaks to the desperation they feel and they hope no one notice. Of course, Dr. Fauci simply saying, look, do not use me or public health as a public football. And as for anybody not knowing being able to do a better job, unfortunately, we know that virtually every country on earth has done a better job than the United States as 210,000 of our fellow Americans dead would tell us.</s>HILL: That's true. You know, I was really struck by this detail from some reporting of the "The New York Times" over the weekend about sort of what was happening with the president while he was at Walter Reed and that he was floating the idea of when he left, he would leave and maybe look a little bit frail but then open up his dress shirt to reveal a superman t-shirt. We know this president wants to portray strength. I get it. Obviously, that's not what happened when we saw him leave Walter Reed. There was a choreographed event of another kind. But John, really, I mean, I actually had to stop while I was reading this and go back and make sure that I read it correctly.</s>AVLON: Yes, to make sure you haven't sucked into bizarro world. Look, that is, unfortunately, a normal occurrence. Obviously, this was an idea he was floating. Let's say he was half joking. It's still a breathtakingly bad idea to even jokingly float, again, against the back drop of over 210,000 Americans dead. But it also speaks to the sort of cartoonish desire to show himself as the strong man, literally in this case. It is sort of dear leader meets "SNL" and it's absurd.</s>HILL: Yes. Maybe we'll just leave it at that. Moving onto the next topic. When we look at what we're now hearing about the debate, which of course the next debate was scheduled for Thursday night. It was canceled because the president refused to participate in a virtual debate. Now they're saying he's ready. Margaret, how much does the president need this debate, do you think? Because the fact that they're now pushing back and saying we should do this, I think is telling.</s>HOOVER: Look, it was clear that the most important debate was always going to be that first debate because people start voting. And now more and more states are voting. By the third debate, even more states will be voting. And in -- as we all know, unprecedented numbers of people are going to be voting earlier because of the pandemic that we're in. Donald Trump needs to be on a stage and fix and do any kind of clean-up possible with Joe Biden. And, frankly, he should have done that in this virtual town hall. I mean, he really needs every opportunity he can to try to just stop the hemorrhaging because his closest supporters has all recognized and became defensive that that was a performance that has led to record low poll numbers.</s>AVLON: Yes.</s>HOOVER: And look, a month is a lifetime in politics. We all know this. Donald Trump, the same week as last week in the 2016 cycle, this is the same week, as the "Access Hollywood" tapes came out. Three and a half weeks is a long time for Donald Trump to try to turn it around or for any politician to turn it around but he needs it.</s>AVLON: Yes.</s>HOOVER: He needs the time on the stage with his opponent.</s>AVLON: Yes. The difference is that first debate was uniquely damaging. You know, legendary GOP campaign strategist Ed Rollins told me that nationwide for Senate polling they saw a massive hit three or four points across the board in the wake of the president's disastrous performance. And, look, traditionally, you know, incumbent presidents have bad first debates. We saw that with Reagan in '84, frankly. We saw with Obama versus Romney. So the second debate actually is more important not only for the candidate who is behind, which is obvious, but often for the incumbent president to get their footing back and to shore up their support. Reagan's famous joke against Mondale about his age where I won't let use my youth -- opponent's youth and inexperience against me, was in the second debate while he was doing clean-up. Now, Donald Trump has deprived himself of that opportunity at least for another week.</s>HILL: On the Biden front, both Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, the campaign, frankly, everyone involved, John, they are not going to get away from this question of court packing, and we know Republicans are going all in on it in messaging with notes, you know, campaign notes going out there saying we need to continue to hit Joe Biden hard on this. For the next 23 days, John, can he really continue to avoid answering that question?</s>AVLON: Look, Margaret and I are going to disagree on this and that's always fun but, I mean, here's what he's going to try --</s>HILL: I love a Hoovalon disagreement.</s>AVLON: Yes, the Hoovalon disagreement is a good thing. Look, what he's going to try to do is further refine the answer he's giving which is saying, look, I'm not going to take the bait and drive the cycle because it's a hypothetical question and we're facing real-time crisis. I thought his answer was you'll find my answer after the election was not a good one. But what he was trying to say was, look, I'm going to leave my options open. They're trying to pack the court now by reversing all their positions after stealing the Merrick Garland seat and now applying a totally different standard. And he and Kamala Harris clearly are going to do everything they can not to get dragged into that because they know it's a game of gotcha. Margaret, counter point.</s>HOOVER: Look, I understand why he's doing it because, frankly, he's winning the Supreme Court argument right now with independents, moderates, women, all the people that Donald Trump needs to win over for having --</s>AVLON: While losing a seat.</s>HOOVER: But losing the seat. And why would they commit to escalation or to a continued escalation? That's just a losing argument politically. But as long as they continue to talk about the court and the Republicans hammer this court packing argument, it does make Democrats look worse because they would go on to destroy a higher and more long-standing norm. It is -- there's a moral relativism here where, you know, what you think is a matter of sort of where you sit in your perspective, but the fact is, there has been a continued ratcheting up and escalation in the fight over the courts for the last 30 years. And, you know, if Republicans pushed Amy Coney Barrett through, there's actually no reason to expect that Democrats won't try to stack the Supreme Court. And that's what we should just recognize that we're looking at.</s>AVLON: Except that Joe Biden's am institutionalist and probably would rather not do that. But the progressive wing and folks are saying, look, you have flip-flopped on fundamental issues. You have done anything in pursuit of power and that's leads people to say look, we need to fight fire with fire. That's bad for the institution. That's not good for the country, but that's where we are because of what Mitch McConnell and Trump have decided to do.</s>HILL: Margaret Hoover and John Avalon, great to see you both. Thank you.</s>HOOVER: Thanks Erica.</s>AVLON: Thanks Erica. Be good.</s>HILL: Now to the president's health. His physician officially clearing him to leave isolation, saying he no longer poses a transmission risk to others. Dr. Conley writing, "Now at day 10 from symptom onset, fever-free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms approved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained revealed there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus." Joining me now is CNN Medical Analyst, Professor of Medicine at George Washington University, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who also spent eight years advising the Bush White House medical unit. So Dr. Reiner, based on this information that we have from the president's physician, are you confident that it is safe for the president to be out there on the road, to be traveling with those around his campaign, his Secret Service agents, holding rallies, and also if it's safe for him from a health perspective, not just those around him?</s>JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: It's not clear at all. So, let's start with the president's health personally. It's going to be 90 degrees in Sanford, Florida tomorrow. It was 70 degrees in Washington yesterday when he barely gave 18 minutes of remarks. It's a lot to stand for, you know, his usual rally lengths in the heat, you know, barely two weeks after acquiring COVID-19. I think it's foolish for him to do it. It's going to be hard for him to do it and it might give him a big setback. We don't really know whether he is still infectious. The CDC, you know, has recommended that folks who have had a severe case of COVID actually isolate for 20 days because these severe cases can have viral shedding for up to about 20 days. I think it would be safer for the president's team if he waited a few days before doing this, but obviously he's not going to do that. And as for the rally attenders, Florida has a positivity rate of 10 percent now. That's twice the national average. It's 10 times higher than it was in D.C. and we already saw a super spreader event at one of his events in D.C. I think it's really insane to attend a rally with the president in Florida now with so much virus in the community.</s>HILL: The president also tweeted that he's immune now. Can you just give us a reality check on that? Twitter labeled that as misleading. What do we actually know about possible immunity?</s>REINER: Well, most patients we think, if not all patients, will obtain some degree of at least temporary immunity or resistance to further infection for a period of time. The exact length is not completely clear. There have been really only a handful of people with documented reinfection rates. But what's his point about his, you know, "immunity" is first of all, we don't know. We haven't seen his antibody levels, et cetera. But even if he was immune, that's not some super power. I think it's irrelevant whether he is immuned. I'm more concerned about the president shedding virus to his staff members and his security people and anyone else he might encounter.</s>HILL: Dr. Jonathan Reiner, always good to talk with you. Thank you.</s>REINER: My pleasure.</s>HILL: Just 23 days to go now until the election. Already at least 7 million ballots have been cast. Many more expected amid the pandemic. So, just what can we expect to know on election night? When could we have a clear winner? That's next. You're live in the "CNN Newsroom."

Senate Democrats Set To Question Judge Amy Coney Barrett

HILL: This just in. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah tells CNN he is symptom free after being diagnosed with coronavirus just over a week ago. You'll recall Lee was among the guest at the Rose Garden ceremony for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, an event be Dr. Fauci calls a super-spreader. Lee's office says the final decision on whether he will attend tomorrow's Supreme Court confirmation hearing in person will be made in the morning. CNN congressional reporter Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill. So, Lauren, what more are you learning?</s>LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, remember, this is key whether or not Lee will attend this hearing, not just for the first three days, but the most critical part is whether or not he will attend on Thursday. That is because Senator Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, if you remember, both tested positive for coronavirus more than a week ago now. But in order to have a quorum for that crucial vote on Thursday, Erica, Senator Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the committee, cannot be missing both Tillis and Lee. Now, Tillis has said his intention is to return to vote in person on Thursday. But, it of course, is just part of the reason that coronavirus is looming so large over these hearings. It's critical that Lindsey Graham have the Republican senators he needs to be there in order to advance this nomination in a timely manner so that they can approve it before the election. Now, this kicks off what will be Democrats' first opportunity to really question and grill Amy Coney Barrett. Now, we expect that tomorrow is going to be lawmakers just giving their opening statement that includes the chairman, Lindsey Graham, and top Democrat on the committee, Dianne Feinstein. Then every senator on the committee will have 10 minutes for their opening statements. That will be followed by Amy Coney Barrett's introduction, her swearing-in, and then she will give an opening statement, which CNN has obtained. And I want to read you part of her statement. She says, "There is a tendency in our profession to treat the practice of law as all- consuming while losing sight of everything else, but that makes for a shallow and unfulfilling life. I worked hard as a lawyer and a professor. I owed that to my clients, my students and myself. But I never let the law define my identity or crowd out the rest of my life." Now, Erica, the next few days are going to look so different than what we've seen in past Supreme Court nomination hearings. That's because each of these lawmakers, they're going to be spaced out at least six feet apart. You're going to see them with, you know, personal protective equipment, masks over their faces in a way that you may not be used to. You'll also see fewer reporters on the floor as well as no public members who are going to just be sitting in there to watch this hearing, and that is so different from what we've seen in these past confirmation hearings.</s>HILL: Yes, it certainly is. Lauren Fox, appreciate the reporting. Thank you. CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams joins me now. You also served as judiciary committee counsel to Senator Schumer, who is requesting recusals as we know for Amy Coney Barrett. Do you think that's going anywhere? And on top of that, what are you watching for tomorrow?</s>ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Sure, excellent. So look, Erica, thanks for that question. What the law calls for and the Supreme Court's own internal guidance calls for is that whenever a federal judge's impartiality might "reasonably be in questioned," they ought to recuse themselves. Now, that's tricky because the word reasonably leaves a lot of wiggle room. And if you recall from 2004, Judge Antonin Scalia, Judge Barrett's mentor, did not recuse from a case where, if you remember, he had gone duck hunting with Dick Cheney saying that, look, my impartiality is not questioned here. I could have gone hunting with someone (inaudible). At the end of the day, here are the questions she needs to answer on this point. Number one, she should be pressed about whether she and the president have discussed any matters with respect to the Affordable Care Act because this is at the heart of what Senator Schumer was talking about here. Number two, senators should question her beyond this answer sheet -- she's likely give -- well, I'll just follow the law on recusal. And number three, she should articulate and (inaudible) what she gets on the court the reasons why she's choosing not to recuse. So, it's not a frivolous point that Senator Schumer has made and it's very important that this get out there.</s>HILL: I mean, just to press you once more on that though, do you think that we will get a direct answer because we know this has been brought up by senators who have met with Amy Coney Barrett, that they have asked her about recusal and it doesn't sound like there are direct answers being given.</s>WILLIAMS: Honestly, Erica, over the last 20 or 30 years, Supreme Court justices never give direct answers on just about anything. What they say, as I hinted at before is -- no, it's true. I will follow the law if the constitution is my guide, and it's the same tired answer over and over again. So, no, I don't think she answers the question. Look, and to be clear, the president has been quite aggressive on this Affordable Care Act point where he has said, he is putting judges on the court for the purpose of overturning the Affordable Care Act. So, it's not -- and she has been critical about the ACA as well. So it's not an unreasonable ask for her to say whether she has a conflict of interest with respect to this one particular issue.</s>HILL: In terms of the Supreme Court, as I'm sure you've seen, Joe Biden is getting asked, and so is Kamala Harris and anybody from the campaign over and over again, about packing the court. I just want to play one of the most recent responses to that question.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You'll know my opinion on court packing when the election is over. The moment I answer that question, the headline in every one of your papers will be about that. Other than, other than focusing on what's happening now.</s>HILL: Look, he's not wrong that an answer would get a lot of attention, but his non-answer is also getting a lot of attention. And we know that this is going to continue to be asked. I mean, does that answer still fly at this point?</s>WILLIAMS: Yes. So, it's interesting. There's a couple of things going on here. Number one, and you can agree with this as a reporter, it is important for presidential candidates to be truthful and candid about issues that are important to the American people, full stop. We should agree with that and demand that of every candidate for office. Now, let's get to the bottom of the truth on court-packing. And Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader right now, held seats open for years when President Obama was president. Over the course of those years, Obama only named 52 appeals court judges to the court. That's the same number President Trump has had now. McConnell laughed about this issue on Sean Hannity saying look, "This was my most important career decision since becoming a senator." So, this whole question of what constitutes "packing the court" and only fixating on Biden's non-answer or answer isn't really the whole story because the president and the senate majority leader have been quite aggressive on this one. Holding open a Supreme Court nomination for 263 days I think and not even giving Merrick Garland a hearing. So, look, McConnell and the president have used the legal tools in their arsenal over the course of these last several years. Biden's leaving open the question of a perfectly legal response to this as to how to proceed, and so -- and last point, I think if this is a question of how candid a candidate is being on a major legal issue, the president has not answered definitively as to whether he would accept a peaceful transfer of power if he lost his election. So, you know, there's a lot going on here. I mean, I think it's silly season with respect to this presidential campaign, but at the end of the day, there are far bigger issues right now than whether Joe Biden is being candid or not as this question of court expansion or reforming the size of the Supreme Court.</s>HILL: We're going to have to leave it there, although, I do appreciate, as you said, we've got to keep asking the questions because what we need is answers across the board. Elliot, good to see you. Thank you. President Trump says the coronavirus is going away. It's not the first time he said it, either. The former director of the CDC, though, says not only is that not true, but he warns many more Americans have actually died than have actually been reported. More on his comments next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Dr. Fauci: Trump Ad Took His Words Out Of Context; Chuck Schumer Threatens Democrats Could Boycott Supreme Court Vote; Trump Chooses Denial As He's Set To Return To Campaign Trail; Vice Presidential Debate.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: The battle of the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy intensifying as Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing is set to begin tomorrow. The consequential hearings are scheduled to run through Thursday with Republicans pushing to fill the Supreme Court vacancy ahead of election day, just 23 days away. Democrats on the Judiciary Committee again threatening today to boycott Barrett's committee votes. And the White House is now calling for the Commission on Presidential Debates to reschedule the canceled second debate, saying the president is no longer contagious. Today the president claimed he is, quote, "immune' from the coronavirus, even though there is no medical evidence of immunity.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It was like I'm immune, so I can go way out of a basement, which I would have done anyway, and which I did, because you have to run a country. You have to get out of the basement. And it looks like I'm immune for, I don't know, maybe a long time or maybe a short time. It could be a lifetime. Nobody really knows. But I'm immune. So -- so the president is in very good shape.</s>WHITFIELD: All of this as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, says his words were taken out of context in a new Trump campaign ad that touts President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Let's get straight to CNN's Jeremy Diamond, who is at the White House. So, Jeremy, first, you know, I want to play the ad and then let's talk about how Fauci is responding.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump is recovering from the coronavirus. And so is America. Together we rose to meet the challenge. President Trump tackled the virus head on, as leaders should.</s>DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I can't imagine that anybody else could be doing more.</s>WHITFIELD: So, Jeremy, Dr. Fauci is not happy about this.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No, he's certainly not. And, you know, with good reason. You know, the ad takes Dr. Fauci's comments completely out of context and also you'll notice there that there is no time stamp for when that ad took place and when Dr. Fauci made those comments. This isn't happening now as we are sitting on more than 210,000 deaths in the United States. Those comments were from back in March, in the first months of the pandemic. And Dr. Fauci says that he was taken out of context and he was referring to the public health experts in the administration. Listen, he says, "In my nearly five decades of public service I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials." As for the Trump campaign, it is responding in the form of a statement from the communications director, Tim Murtaugh. He tells CNN, "These are Dr. Fauci's own words. The video is from a nationally broadcast television interview in which Dr. Fauci was praising the work of the Trump administration. The words spoken are accurately and directly from Dr. Fauci's mouth." It's pretty clear that they are taking him out of context, making it sound like he's talking about the president's leadership and the president having done everything that he could when in fact if you listen to the full interview, it's very clear Dr. Fauci is talking about himself and the other public health experts. But what is clear is the Trump campaign recognizing that nearly six in 10 Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the coronavirus and that they also overwhelmingly trust Dr. Fauci over President Trump when it comes to telling them the facts about this pandemic.</s>WHITFIELD: OK. And then, Jeremy, there's this, the effort from the White House now to resurrect the scheduled -- what was the second scheduled debate for this week. It was canceled because the president wouldn't agree to a virtual debate because of his medical condition. And so now what are the demands or requests coming from the White House?</s>DIAMOND: Yes. The timeline on this is super important because the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the second debate was going to go virtual after President Trump tested positive for coronavirus. The president immediately taking to Twitter to say that he would not participate in a virtual debate and then following that the commission decided to ultimately cancel that debate. The White House now saying that now that President Trump has been cleared for public activities by his doctor, Dr. Sean Conley, that that second debate should be back on the schedule. Listen.</s>BRIAN MORGENSTERN, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: The president's ready to debate and his doctors have cleared him for participating in public engagements. They've said he's no longer a risk for transmission, so it would be nice if the commission would get the debate back on the schedule. I think, you know, the president is ready to go. He wants to be on stage debating Joe Biden in person. So if they'll do that, get it back on the schedule, I think the president would be happy to show up.</s>DIAMOND: At this point, though, Fredricka, it's unlikely that that debate is going to be rescheduled. Joe Biden has already announced that he's going to be doing a town hall with another network since President Trump pulled out of the debate. The president may do something very similar. And we should note, of course, that while the White House's physician Dr. Sean Conley has indeed said President Trump is no longer a risk of transmission for the virus, there are a number of questions about the president's health that he has yet to answer. We haven't yet had an opportunity of course to press Dr. Conley about that memo which was released late last night -- Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: You know, and it's interesting about phase two, Jeremy, because Donald Trump's son, you know, Eric Trump, was on the air earlier today and said, you know, this is a traditional president, his father is a traditional guy, and wouldn't want this kind of conference call type of debate. But at that point never said anything about, you know, an interest to try to get this back on again face-to-face. All right. Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much. All right, more breaking news now. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer is again warning that Democrats could boycott Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Judiciary Committee vote if Republicans don't have enough members present to begin the voting process. Joining me right now is CNN congressional reporter Lauren Fox. Lauren, what more are you learning?</s>LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this has been suspected all along, Fredricka. And this is why it was so important to understand why any potential absence of Republican members on this committee, including the two members who we learned more than a week ago had contracted and tested positive for coronavirus, was so important because essentially in order to have that vote on Thursday, you need to first have a quorum of the committee. That means a majority of the members there. If both Senator Lee and Tillis were out, that Thursday vote could be compromised because essentially Democrats could procedurally just not show up. That makes it hard for Senator Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the committee, to even hold a vote. Now this vote on Thursday is traditionally won in which they try to get the nominee out of committee but we do know based on past Judiciary Committee markups, that you can hold that nomination over for an additional week. So because of the tight timeline that we are talking about here, it was essential that members are in place on Thursday so they can have that vote, essentially a Democrat will ask for it to be held over an additional week, and then they can have the vote a week from Thursday. So I know that's a little complicated but it's very important. And that's why Senator Schumer said here, and I want to play the tape in just a minute, that he wanted to promise that Democrats will not make sure there's a quorum in the Judiciary Committee. Here's what he said.</s>SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Well, they're going to the hearing and I will say this, Democrat -- we will talk about when the actual vote occurs in committee and on the floor. Democrats will not be -- will not supply the quorum, period.</s>FOX: And we, of course, know that Senator Thom Tillis has said his expectation is that while he will be virtual early in the week tomorrow when there are opening statements of the committee, he does plan to be there by Thursday. I'm told by an aide for Senator Mike Lee that they are undecided about whether or not Lee will be there in person this week. So it looks likely that Republicans will have the quorum they need. But it just speaks to the fact that coronavirus is really overshadowing what is a traditional big deal hearing when it comes to Amy Coney Barrett's SCOTUS nomination.</s>WHITFIELD: Right. I'm sure lots of their colleagues are having questions about for Tillis and Lee about that -- whether that self- quarantine or that quarantine post diagnosis is now long enough to now show up to carry out business. All right. Lauren Fox, thank you so much. All right, meantime, President Trump is set to return to the campaign trail less than two weeks after he announced that he had contracted COVID-19. And although his doctor has cleared him to travel, it isn't completely clear if the president is virus-free. On Saturday the president held an event on the White House grounds and told the crowd that the coronavirus was disappearing. With me now is Doris Kearns Goodwin. She's a presidential historian and is doing a voter empowerment event on Tuesday with MasterClass. It is a get-out-the-vote effort on how the past informs this election. Doris, always good to see you.</s>DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Thank you.</s>WHITFIELD: So, all that we're seeing from the president in the White House, you know, would you call this desperation, you know, of an incumbent president trying to, you know, resist acknowledging the seriousness of his own COVID-19 infection, a crumbling American economy and widespread hardship?</s>GOODWIN: Well, I think what's happened is because of his illness and the situation we're in right now with the spiking of the illnesses and with the crumbling economy, he knows that not only are the polls going down, but history shows that whenever an incumbent is running for re- election in the middle of a crisis, the crisis is the most important thing that happens. All these other things are side shows in a certain sense. So it was certainly in 1932 when President Hoover had failed to take a national responsibility for the growing depression. No national guidance, no ability to really get the economy moving again, kept saying we're turning the corner now, things are going to be all right. And there was such a yearning for leadership that FDR won a landslide election. And the interesting thing is, once he won and the inauguration took place, headlines said, we have a leader that government still lives. So I think that's where we're at right now in this country. The yearning for that kind of leadership. And it may have been that without his getting the illness, we would have been focused on the Supreme Court or focused on law and order situations but now the virus is the center of our focus.</s>WHITFIELD: Wow. And then --</s>GOODWIN: Which, you know, we should have been.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes. Yes. And, you know, and here we are a week out from, you know, this moment when, you know, the president was at Walter Reed, and he did this video and he said, you know, I get it. And maybe that was sign posting that there was going to be some empathy coming from, you know, the president. But then contrast that with yesterday's balcony, you know, rally, his public appearance since diagnosis. Take a look.</s>TRUMP: It's been a very interesting journey. I learned a lot about COVID. I learned it by really going to school. This is the real school. This isn't the let's-read-the-book school. And I get it. And I understand it. And it's a very interesting thing. I'm going to be letting you know about it. Before go any further, I want to thank all of you for your prayers. I know you've been praying. And I was --</s>TRUMP: In that hospital. I was watching down over so many people. And I went out to say hello to those people. And I took a little heat for it but I'd do it again, let me tell you. I'd do it again.</s>WHITFIELD: So that's, you know, a different tone in the president and it was just a week span, you know, that separates that. So were you anticipating, you know, a president changed by a personal experience, you know, like America has seen in some of his predecessors?</s>GOODWIN: There really was a moment there when he talked about the bipartisan support that he had gotten, that he learned a lot about this illness, that I began to think, to imagine, that maybe he would go forth and talk about the importance of how this adversity had changed him and he understood the importance of masks, he understood the importance of social distancing and would become a national leader. I mean, what happened to Franklin Roosevelt is when he got polio, it really did change him. It created a greater sense of humility of spirit, it allowed him to connect to other people to whom fate had dealt an unkind hand. He had understood the resilience that was necessary to get through his illness through his own paralysis. So when he comes into office, he helps the country get through their paralysis with resilience, with optimism about the future but confronting the brutal facts. So every now and then I just imagine, maybe this will happen, but obviously we saw that it did not happen.</s>WHITFIELD: Today's "New York Times," you know, is reminding readers, Trump campaigned on draining the swamp. But then "The New York Times" writes, and I'm quoting now, you know, "As president, he built a system of direct presidential influence peddling unrivalled in modern American politics." You know, when asked about that on ABC today, the president's son, Eric Trump, said this.</s>ERIC TRUMP, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SON: We're a hospitality company. We've got tens of millions of people staying at our properties every single year. "The New York Times" is absolute fake news. All they want to do is take out my father. And you know what's really interesting about "The New York Times," I'm glad you mentioned them, every single day, every single day, starting literally the morning of the debate, they've dropped some story that they've been sitting on for literally the last six months or year or two years to try and influence the election. It's horrible. I mean, you know, the media's gone in this country. The media is gone in this country. I mean, even when I hear the tone of this conversation, it's -- I mean, the media has become the activism arm for the Democratic Party.</s>WHITFIELD: So, Doris, perhaps another example of what you would call desperation by, you know, this re-election campaign? I mean, so with 23 days, you know, from election day, demonizing the media, undermining trust in a free and fair election during a pandemic. I mean, will this only intensify over the next few weeks?</s>GOODWIN: Well, there's no argument about fake news that can compare with what the people are actually experiencing right now in terms of the virus. Not only the numbers who've died but the radiation to all their families and all their friends. You can't take -- you can't claim that anybody's not taking the truth about that. And I think in the end, undermining the trust in our democracy is the most important thing we have to fight for right now. The power of democracy is the power of the ordinary vote. And people have fought for generations, when you think about the revolution, you think about the women's suffrage movement, you think about the civil rights movement in Selma, Alabama, lives were given to make that right to vote not be suppressed as it's being suppressed now. That's what we should be fighting right now. Not all these distractions about -- even about taxes or fake news. It's the reality of the situation we're in right now. This virus has to get under control before we can even get our country back. And the answer is for people to vote and to vote without suppression and to make sure they get to the polls.</s>WHITFIELD: Right. If anything, all of this should be added incentive, that's right, to not squander this opportunity, this right to vote but get out there and vote, period. Doris Kearns Goodwin, always great to see you. Thank you so much.</s>GOODWIN: Thank you for having me.</s>WHITFIELD: Absolutely. All right. Still ahead, a troubling prediction from former CDC director, Dr. Tom Frieden. He predicts 20,000 more Americans will die of coronavirus by the end of the month. Plus, a bitter Senate battle in South Carolina heats up. Senator Lindsey Graham's seat may be in jeopardy after these comments about race.</s>SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I care about everybody. If you're a young African-American, an immigrant, you can go anywhere in this state. You just need to be conservative, not liberal.

One Man Shot Dead In Denver

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. One man is dead and another in custody after a dueling protest ends with a shooting in Denver yesterday. Denver police say they have a 30-year-old man in custody. CNN's Natasha Chan is following this story for us -- Natasha.</s>NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, this happened yesterday about mid-afternoon local time in Denver at the Civic Center Park where, as you mentioned, there was a patriot rally and also a counterprotest, which organizers called the BLM-Antifa Soup Drive. Now, police say that, around that time, there was a gunshot that was fired. As you mentioned, one person was shot, later pronounced dead at the hospital. Now, our local affiliate stations where they're covering these protests -- and, in fact, in the footage, you can actually see when they were interviewing someone, the sound of a gunshot can be heard in the background. And then, their footage shows police running toward people on the ground. Here's what a couple of witnesses said to our local affiliates about what they saw.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I turned around. I saw the two -- the victim and the suspect facing each other at very close range.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two feet or arm's distance. And he raised -- had his hand-- already had his arms up, at the moment I turned around.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The rally was supposed to be about, basically, understanding what was happening with police brutality within the United States of America. And now it resulted in this. This is -- this is not OK.</s>CHEN: Police say they found two guns and a canister of pepper spray on the scene. Here's what we -- what we know about the person they have in custody. 30-year-old Matthew Dolloff, the -- our local affiliate, KUSA-9 News, reported that they had hired him as a private security for their news crew who was covering the protest. They said, in their coverage of this incident, that it's been their practice, for a few months now, to send security with their crews when covering these events. And, right now, Dolloff is being held under investigation for first-degree murder -- Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: And then, Natasha, help us understand the nature of these protests?</s>CHEN: Yes. So, before this happened, in fact, police and the witnesses were describing this as, of course, two opposing protests, two opposing groups with high emotions. But law enforcement had done a lot of work to try and keep the two groups separate in that area. In fact, Denver police said that they had the assistance of three local sheriff's departments. And that, for the most part, they were kept apart for the -- for the day. And when this happened, this is actually when the groups were dispersing. So, the protests were, really, ending, at this point, when the gunshot was fired -- Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Natasha Chen, thank you so much. All right, the remnants of Hurricane Delta caused some big problems in Georgia. Investigators say heavy rain may be to blame for this CSX train derailment in the town of Lilburn, and that's right near Atlanta. Thirty-eight cars derailed and some were on fire when emergency crews arrived. The train's engineer and conductor were on board when it happened. They were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Investigators say they're working to learn the exact cause of the crash. Up next, comedy and the campaign. "Saturday Night Live" pokes fun at the vice presidential debate. And, yes, the infamous fly made an appearance.

Doctors Clear Trump To Leave Isolation; Fauci: Trump Campaign Took Me Out Of Context In New Ad; Trump Again Spreads Baseless Claims About Election Integrity

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Top of the hour, you're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill in for Ana Cabrera. The president has 23 days to right his ship, which is sinking at the moment in the polls. A new ad from the Trump campaign, clearly one attempt though to do so, it appears to show Dr. Anthony Fauci praising the president's coronavirus response. Take a look.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump is recovering from the coronavirus and so is America. Together, we rose to meet the challenge. President Trump tackled the virus head on, as leaders should.</s>DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more.</s>HILL: Here is the problem. Dr. Fauci tells CNN exclusively he was taken out of context. He said very clearly in his statement to CNN he has never endorsed a political candidate. He did not give the Trump campaign permission to use his words in that ad. Trump though has been given permission to resume business as usual. His doctor late last night issuing a memo that says the president met CDC criteria to leave isolation, although not clear he's been in isolation in the last several days, and that he's no longer at risk of spreading coronavirus. But the memo did not go into other key details about his health, leaving the public with a number of questions as the president pushes full steam ahead into a week filled with campaign rallies. Let's get straight to Jeremy Diamond at the White House. So, Jeremy, what more do we know about Dr. Fauci's appearance in this ad?</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's pretty clear looking back at that original interview that Dr. Fauci did that he was taken out of context in this Trump campaign ad. The Trump campaign ad make it sound like he's talking about the president and the president doing everything that he could have when it's clear from watching the interview Dr. Fauci was referring to himself and the other public health experts working on this coordinated and the government. So that is what Dr. Fauci is saying in a statement obtained first by our colleague, Kaitlan Collins. He said, in my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials. Now, the Trump campaign, for its part, they are responding with a statement from the communications director, Tim Murtaugh. He says, these are Dr. Fauci's own words. The video is from a national broadcast television interview in which Dr. Fauci was praising the work of the Trump administration. The words spoken are accurate and directly from Dr. Fauci's mouth. Now, what is also clear, Erica, is that Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly six in ten Americans, according to the latest polls. And, clearly, the Trump is recognizing not only that deficit but that they need an effective messenger to be able to convey what they view as the president's success in handling this pandemic. And so they turn here to Dr. Fauci. But, clearly, Dr. Fauci, a career federal public health servant, who has served under Republican and Democratic administrations for decades, not happy with being used in this ad.</s>HILL: Yes. He clearly does not want to be used as a political pawn and you can't blame him. The president meantime has been anything but transparent about his struggle with this virus. But he just said something in a call that's really getting attention. What is he claiming now?</s>DIAMOND: Yes. He was doing a call to prayer that was organized by the Trump campaign. And he said that he has tested, quote, totally negative and then talks about how he's going to be getting back out onto the campaign trail. That's interesting, Erica, because that is not what the White House has said so far. In fact, that has been one of the major questions stemming from Dr. Sean Conley, the president's physician, from his latest memorandum released late last night about the president no longer being a risk for transmitting the coronavirus. Now, that's what Dr. Conley said. He didn't say explicitly that the president had actually tested negative for the virus. Here is what he does say. Now at day ten from symptom on set, fever-free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no evidence of actively replicating virus. Now, we don't know necessarily that the president would have to test negative for coronavirus in order to be considered no longer infectious to others. In fact, that's what Dr. Conley is saying, is that he is no longer presenting that risk. But it is interesting to see the president using very different language and making this claim that, again, we don't have evidence for that he has tested negative for the virus. Erica?</s>HILL: It would be interesting especially since we can't get answers to when there would be other negative tests for this president in the last several weeks. Jeremy Diamond, thank you as always. I want took bring in Michael Smerconish, Host of CNN's "SMERCONISH," and David Gergen, CNN Senior Political Analyst and former presidential adviser under four administrations. David, it is really -- it's something. It is rich to see this White House, which has spent weeks, if not, months trying to discredit Dr. Fauci. We heard it from the president himself. We saw how agitated he would become in talking about how Americans trusted and seemed to like Dr. Fauci. At one point, there was reportedly opposition research being done on him. But now they are including Dr. Fauci in this ad to win over voters, David. I guess the real question is, will it work?</s>DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I don't think so. I think the public will see that the White House is trying to exploit Dr. Fauci, they're trying to use him to advance their political interest. People don't respond well to that. They have seen a string of things in the last few days. You know, this so-called rally at the White House, the people looking on the balcony, the president looking down on high, all listening (ph). What clearly has happened here was that the Trump as a candidate, Trump the campaigner, he's played that role and played that role and it's not working. It's not working. We've got a novel -- how about this for a novel idea. How about playing president for a change? How about staying home, where he should be, to negotiate disagreement between the House, Senate and the White House and get money to people who are in desperate need and who cannot be victims of a political campaign. So I would think that the best thing the president could do to win the election is to come home and be president. The people will thank you for that. The best politics is the best policy.</s>HILL: Well, as we wait for that, we know the president is headed back out on the campaign trail. Michael, when we look at this ad, the fact that Dr. Fauci felt the need to speak out here and was very clear in that statement, I mean, that is telling in and of itself, I think, because Dr. Fauci has been so measured over these last several months.</s>MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN ANCHOR: What I find interesting about this is that it's an acknowledgement by the White House, by at least the Trump campaign, of the credibility that the American people see in Dr. Fauci. Most commercials like this, they don't get made unless they are put through a focus group when the stakes are as high as they are right now. So if the campaign recognizes, if the president recognizes that Dr. Fauci is held in high esteem, it begs the question of why not bring back the daily briefings, especially at a time when so many states are experiencing an uptick in the spread of the virus. I mean, all you need to do is you can put Dr. Fauci out there seven days a week along with Vice President Pence and Dr. Birx and Dr. Atlas and the rest of the inner circle who charged with responsibility for the virus. But they don't want to do that because the president's strategy is to say that the virus is in our rearview mirror.</s>HILL: Yes. It would be interesting to see if that strategy changes at all. David, you brought up the stimulus. And there are millions of Americans who are waiting for an answer on this, waiting for some movement, quite frankly. At this point, there's so much back and forth, it's hard to keep track. I'm just curious, who do you think voters are going to hold responsible for this inaction?</s>GERGEN: Well, I think it's going to bring more disquiet to the electorate. And, frankly, I think the president is likely to pay the bigger price because he is the president. He is the person we look to who has the most power. He is the person who can sit down with the leadership of both chambers. He is the only person in Washington who has been elected by all the people. So it's in the nature of the presidency to give you special magic powers and go negotiate on behalf of the country. I think he can put the Democrats on the defensive if he is actually trying to sit down, let's get this done. Let's get this done. And Democrats come along with me. I think he could put together a coalition of Democrats and half the Republicans in the Senate. He'll have enough votes to get that done. But most importantly is to get the money and the help in the hands of the American people now, not after the election, not January 20th of next year, for goodness sakes.</s>HILL: Yes. It's help that was needed months ago, as we know, and is still needed desperately today. Michael, CNN Senior Political Analyst Ryan Lizza wrote about what he calls Washington's worst kept secret for Politico this week. Here is what he wrote in part. Here is what everyone in Washington is thinking but doesn't want to say out loud. President Donald Trump is going to lose this election probably by a large margin. A growing number of insiders, including many Republicans, are starting venture privately that this outcome is likely to be clear on election night, not days or weeks later. I haven't seen a whole lot of people write that. Do you agree with that, Michael?</s>SMERCONISH: You know, Erica, Peggy Noonan wrote something similar in her Wall Street Journal column on Friday. I think that many reasons why people don't want to say this in this cycle is because they got burned four years ago by saying exactly that with regard to Secretary Clinton. [18:10:002] We've been at this campaign for so long, it almost feels like we're just going through another phase but we're really now in the final phase. People are voting. The feeling is one of cement that is now setting at long last. And I don't think that there's any dispute over the fact that the momentum seems to be all on the side of Vice President Biden's ledger and not Donald Trump. He needs the president a momentum shift by not having the debate that would have taken place this week. He's down now to a final debate. And I'm hard pressed to see what else is on the calendar for the next 23 days that could provide him what he needs to shift the momentum back to his side.</s>HILL: It would be interesting to watch. Go ahead, David.</s>GERGEN: Erica, there are a lot of Democrats who are spooked by the last time out. And Michael is absolutely right about this. And, basically, what's happening is the Democrats are acting like a baseball team going into the bottom of the eighth inning, 3-0 lead and their pitcher is throwing a no-hitter. Nobody wants to mention a no- hitter because it puts a curse on it and he'll lose it. And democratic veterans are really concerned too, but if it gets to be too much of a landslide in prospect, a lot of Democrats might stay home. What if there are people with guns at the polling station because you can carry? You've got an open carry state. People show up with guns. Apparently, that may well happen. There are a lot of people say that are going to say, if we're going to win anyway, why go there? And I think that's one of the reasons they don't like to talk about it too.</s>HILL: David, let me get your take on this other op-ed, a CNN, where authors are calling on former President George W. Bush to endorse Biden, where they write, in part, after the debate and the recent endorsement of Biden by Cindy McCain, it's now time for former President George W. Bush to finally put an end to the Trump presidency by endorsing Joe Biden for president and in doing so save the country and the GOP from itself. Do you think there's a chance that former George W. Bush would endorse Joe Biden? David, that one is for you. Sorry.</s>GERGEN: Okay. I'm sorry. No, I don't. I was surprised, actually, that Jim Baker may well support Biden because he's so tight with the Trump family. But I actually think, Erica, that George W. Bush's silence, along with the silence of the rest of the family says everything you need to know about how they feel about Donald Trump. As a matter of sort of presidential tradition, you don't go out there and beat hell out of somebody -- or support somebody from the other party. So I can understand why they are not doing that. It's obvious where the Bush family stands.</s>HILL: Michael, would you agree?</s>SMERCONISH: It would be completely out of character for the way that former President Bush has comported himself after leaving the White House. I'd be shocked if he were to do it. But then, again, there have been a lot of shocking moments, haven't there, over the span of the last four years.</s>HILL: That may be an understatement. As we all know, not only is the election not over, we are not done with 2020, my friends. David Gergen, Michael Smerconish, great to see you both, as always. Thank you.</s>SMERCONISH: Take care. And thank you, Erica.</s>HILL: Coming up, Dr. Fauci says he is skipping Thanksgiving with his family this year. So what does that tell the rest of us about the risk for the coming months? We're going to ask an expert, next.

U.S. Daily Cases Hit 50,000-Plus For Four Consecutive Days

HILL: The U.S. is headed in the wrong direction. More than 50,000 new COVID-19 cases reported every day for the past four days. The last time that happened, August. A key model now projects 400,000 coronavirus deaths by February 1st. You can see on the screen, we're at nearly 200,000 right now. And now the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says he won't spend Thanksgiving with his three adult daughters who live in high areas with high levels of infection. I want to bring Dr. Peter Hotez, Professor and Dean of Tropical Medicine at Baylor in Houston. Dr. Hotez, Dr. Fauci's Thanksgiving plan really stood out to me. What does that say to you about what's to come this fall?</s>DR. PETER HOTEZ, PROFESSOR AND DEAN OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Well, Dr. Fauci is saying what many of us have been predicting for a while, and that is a fall and winter sharp increase, uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases. This fall and winter rise has been expected for some time. And, unfortunately, as you point out over the last few days, we've now gone up over 50,000 new cases a day. That's hard because we never really brought it down. The lowest we've had it in months is around 30,000, 35,000 new cases a day and now it's going back up. So, unfortunately, we're predicting a pretty worrisome fall and winter, especially in the colder states. We're already seeing a sharp increase in the northern Midwest, in Wisconsin, the Dakotas and over into Montana. And then the thinking is it will probably start going up in the northeast as well. The only question in my mind is how bad it will be in the north. We know it's going to be bad. The mortality will increase because there's some thinking mortality rates are also affected by the cold weather because there's more virus around and maybe larger virus inoculo, and then whether it will be as bad in the southern states. So those are the sort of the unknowns. But it will be a sad time in the fall and winter. The only good news that I can say is it will get better. I feel confident that a year from now, as the U.S. population starts getting vaccinated, I think we will have multiple COVID-19 vaccines out by next year. Things will definitely be better this year next time. So the key is not to despair and realize it is going to be a tough fall and winter but that this thing will improve.</s>HILL: You mentioned your concern that there could be an increase in mortality. What about hospitals? I was speaking with a doctor yesterday from Rhode Island who said she is concerned right now in Rhode Island that there will not be enough PPE for what they are seeing come their way, that they are going to have some of the issues that we were talking about back in March, back in April. Are you that concerned for hospitals? And if so, where specifically?</s>HOTEZ: Well, hospitals certainly are -- they have been through this once, most hospitals up in the north. So, hopefully, they are much better prepared than they were in March or April. One of the other concerns that I have is if there is a regime change in the November election, as many are predicting, as you just spoke about, what that lame duck executive branch of the government looks like and how attentive they will be to all of the needs in the U.S. and what kind of belts and suspenders they are putting in to make certain that everyone is not jumping ship going into November and December. So I'm a little worried about Homeland Security for that reason as well. So, hopefully, somebody is keeping tabs on this and we have a plan in place if there is some exodus out of the government in November and December, because this is going to be such a terrible time. We already know that.</s>HILL: So let me just follow up on that. Are you saying because this administration, whether you agree with what they say or not -- we know the president keeps touting that they have done everything they can. They have done a beautiful job in the president's estimation. So you're saying that if the president loses November 3rd, that you're concerned he may just throw his hands up at this point and say, you figure it out, Joe, when you take over in January?</s>HOTEZ: Well, remember, let's put this into context.</s>HILL: I think we may have just lost Dr. Hotez there. But, certainly, something to think about, because as we know, no matter who wins the election, the virus doesn't vote, number one. The virus is not going away on Election Day, it is not going away on inauguration day. And as we just heard from Dr. Hotez, as we move into the fall, the colder months we could move inside, there is more virus, he said, in the colder months. There could be more to be concerned about, not less. It's an interesting point that we'll definitely be following up on. Meantime, yet another incidence of protest turning deadly in America, this time at a planned police support rally and counterprotest in Denver. We have those details for you, next. But first, your Before the Bell report, CNN's Christine Romans tells us about big news from Apple and Amazon that investors will be watching. Christine?</s>CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Erica. Political headlines are driving action on Wall Street but investors are watching plenty of other events too. On Tuesday, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 12 with 5G capabilities. That could unleash super cycle of device upgrades. Tuesday is also when Amazon peaks off Prime Day, that's its version of Black Friday. This two-day event usually takes place in July but was postponed because of the pandemic. Both Apple and Amazon shares have been on fire this year, although a tech correction in recent weeks has dented their gains. Corporate earnings will also begin grabbing investor attention this week, third quarter profits for S&P 500 companies expected to fall more than 20 percent from a year ago. That's actually an improvement from the second quarter when profits tumbled more than 30 percent. Analysts don't expect earnings growth to return until next year. In New York, I'm Christine Romans.

One Person Dead After Shooting Near Dueling Protests

HILL: The mayor of Denver is encouraging people to resolve their political differences at the ballot box, not in the streets. That's after a planned police support rally and counterprotest turned deadly yesterday. Police say there was an altercation before the shooting that left one person dead. The suspect is a private security guard. Our CNN affiliate KUSA says he was contracted by the station to accompany staff at the protests. CNN's Natasha Chen is following this for us. So, Natasha, what more do we know about how this all unfolded?</s>NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. Well, Erica, police say that, as you mentioned, there was a verbal altercation and then a shot was fired. They do have 30-year-old Matthew Dolloff in custody, under investigation for first degree murder. We don't know a whole lot about the victim at this time but the identity is expected to be released by the office of the medical examiner.</s>CHEN: As two rival protests in Denver's Civic Center Park were about to end Saturday afternoon --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's important to be able to show our free speech rights.</s>CHEN: CNN affiliate KMGH says this gunshot was heard in the middle of their interview. The station's footage then shows police running towards someone on the ground.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I turned around, I saw the two, the victim and the suspect facing each other, very close range, two feet, or arm's distance. And he already had his arms up at the moment I turned around.</s>CHEN: Police say 30-year-old Matthew Dolloff was taken into custody and another man was shot, later pronounced dead at the hospital. Police say Dolloff was being held on investigation of first-degree murder. Another CNN affiliate, KUSA 9News, says the person taken into custody was a private security guard contracted by the station. A 9NEWS story on this incident says, quote, "It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to contract private security to accompany staff at protests."</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm wondering what possible explanation. There didn't seem to be an altercation. There wasn't any yelling coming from that way.</s>CHEN: But Denver Police say there was a verbal altercation.</s>JOE MONTOYA, DIVISION CHIEF OF INVESTIGATION, DENVER POLICE: The firearm was discharged, the individual was shot and later pronounced deceased. There were two guns recovered at the scene.</s>CHEN: Along with a canister of pepper spray. Denver Police have since confirmed on Twitter that the person in custody is a security guard not affiliated with Antifa.</s>MONTOYA: We don't want any erroneous information going out, any speculation, because that's really what hurts us and that's what gets everybody angry and motivated to commit more violence and that's what we're trying to prevent.</s>CHEN: Denver Police have the help of at least three sheriff's departments on Saturday and said they went to great lengths to separate the patriot rally from the counter-protest which organizers called a BLM-Antifa soup drive.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The rally was supposed to be about basically understanding what was happening with police brutality within the United States of America, and now it resulted in this. This is not OK.</s>CHEN: We reached out to the Denver Police to see if Dolloff has legal representation to comment on his behalf. Waiting to hear back on that. Meanwhile, a Denver mayor, as you mentioned, made some statements about this and said that peaceful protest is encouraged but when that escalates to violence or clashes, that's not tolerated -- Erica.</s>ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Natasha Chen, with the latest for us. Natasha, thank you. I want to bring in now CNN National Security Analyst, Juliette Kayyem. So, Juliette, what happened in Denver is honestly just the latest example of this deadly violence we're seeing at the scene of tense protests. What are the national security concerns amid these dueling, you know, sort of extreme left, right wing rallies, protesters, counter-protesters? What are you concerned about?</s>JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So we're entering a period or we are in a period of what we call constitutional flash points. We are voting now. We have a voting day November 3rd. We will then, if there's a new president or if it's unresolved have a transition period leading to a state of the union. So I'm really looking at this through sort of elevated sort of threat assessment through January 20th if not after, depending on the magnus. So the homeland security and national security implications are whether we can support constitutional activity. People can have rallies while still protecting the right to vote. And we're doing this at a time where there's massive disinformation including the shooter in Denver being -- alleged to have been aligned with Antifa, which was not true. A president who is supporting white supremacy or at least not condemning it, as well as anti-government protests as he did in some tweets this last week in response to Governor Whitmer's alleged kidnapping. I mean, so you just have an elevated fear and so it's really going to be on mayors and police departments to do two things. One is to separate people. That is just absolutely -- I mean, you're just going to have to have counter-protests at this stage. And the other is to essentially train police departments about what they can do or what they have to do to protect the right to vote. And that's relatively new for police departments but it is being done now.</s>HILL: You know, you bring up that alleged domestic terror plot in Michigan. I couldn't help when I first saw that break but think back to what we saw in the spring, right? We saw these protesters in the state capital, inside the state house in Lansing. And when asked about the threats to the governor this summer, here's how Attorney General Bill Barr responded.</s>REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA): Are you aware that these protesters called for the governor to be lynched, shot and beheaded?</s>BILL BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: No.</s>JAYAPAL: You're not aware of that.</s>BARR: I was not aware.</s>JAYAPAL: Major protests in Michigan, you're the attorney general, and you didn't know that the protesters called for the governor to be lynched, shot, and beheaded. So obviously you couldn't be concerned about that.</s>BARR: Well, there are a lot of protests --</s>JAYAPAL: You didn't --</s>BARR: -- around the United States.</s>HILL: I mean, that given the lack of comment over the last several days from the attorney general, what message is that sending?</s>KAYYEM: So I'm not shy here, and I haven't been shy on CNN. The president and the attorney general promote this kind of terrorist activity by not condemning it. They are leaders of the law enforcement and our democracy. The law enforcement community and our democracy. They're winking and nodding their support of -- you know, vague language like, you know, save us from COVID restrictions or whatever Donald Trump is saying now. Barr is sort of see no evil, hear no evil. Those are objectionable in and of themselves, but how they are being heard by their supporters radicalizes them because what they're hearing are two leaders of the United States not condemning them, not shaming them, and not saying to stop. Bill Barr could have answered that question in a very different way saying I don't know about those specific allegations but I condemn them. And we've never heard those words. So I have no -- you know, I mean, I don't think there's any point of being shy about it or waiting for Barr and Trump to, you know, say the right thing. They've had four years, and in that silence, let alone that sort of, you know, acceptance and the mimicry of their language as Donald Trump tends to do, you get the kind of radicalization that we're likely to see. But let me just put it in perspective. We don't know the extent of this. It looks scary. But for the most part, most jurisdictions are not seeing a lot of violent activity. So go out and vote. Vote any way that's safe for you because they win if you're scared. And you know, basically they won't win.</s>HILL: Juliette Kayyem, appreciate it as always. Thank you.</s>KAYYEM: Thank you.</s>HILL: Coming up as the president spreads misinformation, how Trump's own officials are trying to protect the election from him. Stay right there.

American Royalty: Jackie Kennedy's Enduring Legacy.

HILL: Jackie Kennedy's time in the White House was brief. 35 tumultuous months that promised a new dawn for America but they were marked by private betrayal and public tragedy. Tonight, in an all new episode of CNN's Original Series, "FIRST LADIES," we examine one of America's most glamorous first ladies and her heartbreaking task of establishing her husband's legacy after his assassination.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jackie stage-managed her husband's funeral perfectly. Every detail, the riderless horse, two heartbreaking children standing next to her with John-John saluting next to her as his father's coffin rolled by.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And Jackie holds firm to her final wish.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jackie walked with Bobby and Teddy followed by all these other world leaders, Charles de Gaulle, Prince Phillip, Haile Selassie.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is believed to be the first time a president's widow has walked in his funeral procession. All follow behind the president's casket.</s>HILL: Joining us now is Kati Marton, author of "Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped History." There is so much, Kati, about Jackie Kennedy that is iconic. She was so young, though, when she became first lady. That is enough pressure in and of itself simply to move into that role. How did she handle it in those early moments?</s>KATI MARTON, AUTHOR, "HIDDEN POWER: PRESIDENTIAL MARRIAGES THAT SHAPED OUR HISTORY": Well, yes, Erica, the astonishing fact about Jackie is that she was 31, and yet she had such a specific idea of how she was going to conduct herself from day one in the White House. And really she was the most glamorous and the closest to a movie star that we had as first lady. Isn't it nice to be able to change the subject from voter fraud to something that really pulls us together? So proud as Jackie did. She was really the nation's role model of what a woman should be. She was very much a woman of her time. That is to say that she averted her gaze from the fact that her husband was a -- how shall I put it, an Olympic champion philanderer. She looked the other way because that is the period into which she was raised. Men were given much more leeway, and the White House -- the occupants of the White House were given much more privacy and much more freedom. But what she did, Erica, in those three years was to turn the White House into a showcase for what was best in the American arts and history, American culture, and she did this with a -- an iron will. She is known as a fashion icon. But she also was a very serious person with a huge asset to her husband, JFK, in diplomacy. Quite seriously, she was able to charm the likes of Charles de Gaulle and Indira Nehru and Khrushchev, people who her husband didn't have so much luck charming. And so she was really much more than the glamorous fashion plate that she's portrayed as. And of course, she led the nation, she led us through our grief with just incredible elegance and a sense of history. She always had an eye on history. So she choreographed his funeral with the same precision with which she choreographed the inaugural. So she -- her last night in the White House she spent writing a long letter, to Nikita Khrushchev urging Khrushchev to continue the detente, the talks with Washington, which her husband had started. So this was a woman who really was a stateswoman as much as she was a cultural and fashion icon and, again, the astonishing fact that she was in her early 30s and went through so much tragedy and grief before the November 22nd, 1963, a date that all of us remember as much as we remember 9/11.</s>HILL: Yes.</s>MARTON: Before -- shortly before that, she lost her infant, Patrick, in childbirth. So this is a woman who despite a great deal of tragedy and grief conducted herself with absolute dignity and made us so proud, made American women --</s>HILL: And so much strength as well, and what an incredible woman. Kati Marton, really appreciate you taking the time to join us today. Thank you. And please be sure to tune in tonight for a brand new episode of "FIRST LADIES." It airs at 10:00 p.m. right here on CNN. Well, there were many memorable moments at the vice presidential debate this week, so buzz worthy that of course "Saturday Night Live" just couldn't resist a little fly by.</s>KATE MCKINNON, ACTRESS, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Tonight, you'll know that between the candidates we've installed buffet style sneeze guards on account of one of you works for patient zero.</s>BECK BENNETT, ACTOR, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": It's actually fine by me, Susan. Twelve feet apart and separated by Plexiglass is how Mother and I sleep.</s>MCKINNON: Mr. Vice President, my first question is for you.</s>BENNETT: Thank you.</s>MCKINNON: The topic is coronavirus.</s>BENNETT: Damn it.</s>MCKINNON: Now, you were in charge of the Coronavirus Task Force and since you took charge, over 200,000 Americans have died. How do you explain that?</s>BENNETT: Well, Susan, I'd like to begin by stalling hard.</s>MAYA RUDOLPH, ACTRESS, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": You see, this is what they do, Susan. They avoid taking any responsibilities --</s>BENNETT: We do not.</s>RUDOLPH: Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking. I'm speaking.</s>BENNETT: Well, I'm just trying --</s>RUDOLPH: I'm speaking.</s>BENNETT: Yes, but --</s>RUDOLPH: Yes, yes, but I'm speaking. See, I'm speaking right now,</s>BENNETT: I understand that.</s>MCKINNON: Vice President Pence, there's a --</s>BENNETT: War on police in this country, I couldn't agree more.</s>MCKINNON: No, no. There's a giant --</s>BENNETT: Lack of respect from militias, you're darn right.</s>MCKINNON: No. Senator Harris, help me out.</s>RUDOLPH: Oh, no, I'm good. Looking real good, Mike. Keep it up.</s>JIM CARREY, ACTOR: Let me at him. Let me at him.</s>HILL: The fly. My 10-year-old's favorite part of the debate. Thanks for joining us on this Sunday evening. I'm Erica Hill. My colleague Wolf Blitzer picks up our coverage with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" after a quick break.

Trump Set To Return To Campaign Trail After Contracting COVID- 19; Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings Set To Begin Tomorrow; High Court To Hear Case On Religious Liberty Versus LGBTQ Rights

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Election day is now just 23 days away and the clock is ticking. We're on the eve of two major events in the United States. President Trump is set to return to the campaign trail tomorrow for the first time since testing positive for coronavirus ten days ago. The president, while on the balcony of the White House yesterday before supporters claiming he is, quote, "immune" from the coronavirus as he prepares to travel to a rally in Florida tomorrow. There is no medical evidence of such immunity. Trump will also travel to scheduled rallies in Pennsylvania Tuesday and Iowa Wednesday. And tomorrow also marks the start of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Judge Barrett's Supreme Court nomination are scheduled to run through Thursday as Republicans push to fill the Supreme Court vacancy ahead of election day. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is now calling on Judge Barrett to recuse herself from some significant decisions, should she be confirmed to the high court.</s>SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Given Judge Barrett's conflicts of interest, she should recuse herself from any decision involving the Affordable Care Act and its protections, and any decision related to the election that we will have on November 3rd. The process is already illegitimate, dangerous and unpopular. All the more reason she should be recused. She's being rushed through to decide decisions that she's already seemed to have made up her mind on.</s>WHITFIELD: The controversial hearings and the president's questionable return to the campaign trail come as a former CDC director says we should expect some 20,000 additional coronavirus deaths over just the next 20 days. But first we have breaking news out of the White House. The Trump administration is asking the Presidential Debates Commission to reschedule that second debate, saying the president's doctor has declared he's no longer a risk to transmit COVID-19. The president going so far this morning to claim he is immune.</s>TRUMP: It was like I'm immune. So I can go way out of a basement, which I would have done anyway and which I did, because you have to run a country. You have to get out of the basement, and it looks like I'm immune for, I don't know, maybe for a long time and maybe a short time. It could be a lifetime, nobody really knows. But I'm immune. So the president is in very good shape.</s>WHITFIELD: I want to bring in now CNN's Jeremy Diamond at the White House. So who and what is substantiating this immunity for the president?</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka. The White House is now saying that the president should be allowed -- that this second debate should go forward, essentially, you know. Let me take you through the timeline of what happened here Fredricka, because the White House and the president and his allies have been misconstruing it. What happened was that after the president came down with coronavirus, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the second debate was going to be held virtually, meaning that both candidates would be in different locations and the moderator and the participants in the town hall would be in a third location. Following that President Trump immediately said that he would not be participating in a virtual debate. Joe Biden's campaign then decided to move forward with a separate town hall event that they were going to do unilaterally with another network. And following that, the Commission on Presidential Debates said that they were going to cancel the debate altogether. So now the White House is saying that now that the president has been cleared to return to public activities by his doctor, that that second debate should resume and should happen in person. Listen.</s>BRIAN MORGENSTERN, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: The president is ready to debate. And his doctors have cleared him for participating in public engagements. They've said he's no longer a risk for transmission. So it would be nice if the commission would get the debate back on the schedule. I think, you know, the president is ready to go. He wants to be on stage debating Joe Biden in person. So if they'll do that, get it back on the schedule, I think the president would be happy to show up.</s>DIAMOND: And so that was the deputy White House communications director Brian Morgenstern making it very clear that they would like to see the second presidential debate back on the schedule and to see it happen in person. Of course, there is very, very little likelihood that that is actually going to happen. As I mentioned, the Biden campaign is already moving forward with this other town hall event. President Trump is likely to do the same if this debate is not put back on the schedule.</s>DIAMOND: Of course, there are still questions about the president's health. Of course, the president's doctor did not say in that statement that the president had tested negative for coronavirus yet some health experts said though that that's not necessarily necessary in order to clear the president for a return to public activities, but there are still a number of questions, particularly given the severity of the president's illness. CDC suggests that perhaps it should be not just 10 days of isolation but perhaps 20 days of isolation. And given the lack of transparency from the White House, it's been very difficult to assess these different things. But of course, that is where things stand as of now, Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: But the president didn't even get ten days of isolation. I mean he returned, you know, back to the White House just a couple of days after, you know, being at Walter Reed. Now, we have reached out to the debate commission, a representative, you know, of that group to see how they will entertain this request now coming from the White House on putting the second debate back on the schedule. Again, there's still that October 22nd debate, but just for clarity, Jeremy, this White House is saying it wants to have another debate. The one that was canceled for this week, back on for this week or sometime before that October 22nd scheduled debate.</s>DIAMOND: Yes, that's exactly right.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much at the White House. So let's bring in CNN's Arlette Saenz for reaction from the Biden campaign. So Arlette, what are you hearing from them?</s>ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The campaign has yet to offer any fresh reaction to this. But they have over the past few days said that President Trump is not the one who will dictate the calendar for these debates. You'll remember that when the Debate Commission announced that that second presidential debate would be virtual, instead of in person, the Biden's campaign said they were game. They said that Joe Biden would participate in a virtual debate. But then when the president said that he wasn't going to be a part of any virtual debate, the Biden campaign decided to move forward, and go ahead and make other plans for that day of October 15th. And deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield appeared on CNN earlier this morning and talked a little bit about their thinking around this. Take a listen.</s>KATE BEDINGFIELD, BIDEN DEPUTY CAMPAIGN MANAGER: He, Donald Trump, refused to participate in a virtual town hall so we instead scheduled a national network televised townhall so that Joe Biden can take questions from voters. And we have every intention and every expectation that we'll be there on the 22nd as well. But we're not going to let Donald Trump write the rules. He doesn't get to set the calendar.</s>SAENZ: So Joe Biden will participate in a town hall with another network on October 15th, this Thursday, in Philadelphia. And the Biden campaign has called for that next debate scheduled for October 22nd to have a town hall format instead of that one on one match up between Biden and President Trump. But we will see, for now, that that October 22nd debate which will now be the second presidential debate is still moving forward, still on track to take place, as these two men are set to face off again just a few weeks before the election.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Arlette Saenz, thank you so much. All right. The other big breaking story, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett beginning tomorrow, those hearings for confirmation. We're now getting a look at Judge Barrett's opening statement to the committee. Joining me right now is CNN congressional reporter Lauren Fox. So Lauren, what can be expected tomorrow?</s>LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, Fredricka. This is going to be Democrats' first opportunity to really grill this nominee, but expect that tomorrow was going to be a day full of opening statements. Everyone sort of setting the table for where this four-day hearing will actually be going. We expect that tomorrow, Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Judiciary will give his opening statement, followed by Diane Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee. Then each member, 22 in total including the chair and ranking member will have 10 minutes to give their opening statements. That will be followed by Amy Coney Barrett's introduction and her swearing in. then we expect her to give her opening statement. And this what we expect her to say tomorrow. Quote, "There is a tendency in our profession to treat the practice of law as all- consuming, while losing sight of everything else. But that makes for a shallow and unfulfilling life. I worked hard as a lawyer and a professor. I owed that to my clients, my students and myself, but I never let the law define my identity or crowd out the rest of my life." Now, of course, overshadowing this nomination process is going to be the question of the timeline and, of course, the question of coronavirus because two individuals, Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, both Republicans on the committee had contracted coronavirus more than a week ago. So the question, of course, will they be attending in person later in the week when their presence is going to be very essential to the question of whether or not they can move this nomination forward in a timely way.</s>SAENZ: We know of course, that Tillis is planning to be there. We're not sure what's going on with Mike Lee at this current moment, but I will tell you that when you were talking about this nomination process, you have a question about whether or not it is safe to hold this hearing at all. And that's something the Democrats have been arguing all along. Now Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican on the Committee, said Democrats are just trying to delay this nominee. Here's what he said.</s>SENATOR TED CRUZ (R-TX): I think they are looking for anything to delay things, even a day or two or three. and I think THAT Senate Republicans will follow the guidance, the medical guidance of the Capitol physician. We've managed to have hearings for months in a way that's been safe and has protected everyone's safety.</s>SAENZ: And of course, Fredricka, the room is going to look very different tomorrow. Instead of having all the members of the Judiciary Committee on one dais, there will be two. That, of course, giving members that six feet or more of distance. We also expect that each member will only have one staffer coming in and out of the room. It's going to look very different than past SCOTUS confirmation hearings of the past, Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: And even with those measures being put in place, the vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris says she will participate in the hearings, but her office is saying that she's going to do so from her Senate office and saying this Judiciary Committees Republicans' refusal to take common-sense steps to protect members, aides, capitol complex workers and members of the media are among the reasons why. All right. Lauren Fox, thank you so much. All right. On November 4th, the day after the election, the U.S. Supreme Court just might take up a case that pits claims of religious liberty against LGBTQ rights. The court will decide if a Catholic foster agency violated antidiscrimination laws when it refused to work with same-sex couples or whether it has a first amendment exemption. I want to talk about this case and Judge Coney Barrett's nomination with Jim Obergefell. He came the face of LGBTQ rights and the Supreme Court in 2015 when he won the marriage equality case that legalized same-sex marriage. And today on this national coming-out day, you know, you're raising the alarm over Barrett's nomination. What are your biggest concerns?</s>JIM OBERGEFELL, MARRIAGE EQUALITY CASE OBERGEFELL V. HODGES: Thanks have having me on, Fredricka. You know, when I think about Amy Coney Barrett, I really worry about the LGBTQ+ community, but not only us. I'm worried about women's rights to control their own health. I'm worried about Americans across the nation and their health care. I'm worried about voting rights. But as far as the LGBTQ+ community is concerned, she has come out forcefully as an opponent of LGBTQ+ equality. She is against Obergefell v Hodges. She is against marriage equality. And I would like to turn to some of her words that were just read. She talked about has the potential to condemn us to a shallow and unfulfilling life by letting law control her life. Well, that's what she has potential to do to us. Condemn us to a shallow and unfulfilling life by using the law and by using religion. And this case to me comes down to the First Amendment. And I have to say, Fredricka, I wasn't aware that the number of the amendment made it more important than any of the following amendments in the bill of rights. And religious freedom was written into our constitution because so many of the people who came to the New World came because they were subject to persecution due to their religious beliefs. And yet this case which could legalize discrimination is nothing more than allowing persecution of people who believe differently or who don't believe under the first amendment. So there are a lot of concerns that I have with her confirmation.</s>WHITFIELD: And what are your concerns about whether these issues will be prioritized when it comes down to the questioning, the grilling of this nominee?</s>OBERGEFELL: You know, I -- that's a great question, Fredericka art. I honestly haven't thought about that, because maybe I'm a little scared to think about that. But I do believe that, you know, that the senators from the Democratic Party who will be interviewing her and conversing with her, will ask about her religion and her belief or her understanding as to how the first amendment and religious liberty impacts other people. You know, with religious liberty, nothing has changed their right to practice their faith the way they want to at home and in their places of worship. We have not gone into their homes or their houses of worship to say they cannot believe or practice the way they want to. Yet they are coming into our homes, into every part of secular life, our state houses, our legislative chambers, to use their religion to determine our rights -- human rights, our civil rights. And I hope that that comes up.</s>WHITFIELD: And where do you see Chief Justice John Roberts falling in this case, that the Supreme Court will start considering on November 4th, and you know. And if this offers some kind of precipice for a real possibility of the court reopening the issue of same-sex marriage ultimately.</s>OBERGEFELL: I choose to believe that Chief Justice Roberts is a firm believer in precedent and not taking away rights that have previously been granted or confirmed by this court. So I look to that as my hope, and the fact that he did not join in with Justices Thomas and Alito on that.</s>WHITFIELD: And James, you know, you talked about what life was like before your victory in the Supreme Court. And then what it was like after. How do you define the change?</s>OBERGEFELL: You know, that change was fundamental, it was enormous. It changed everything about my life and about my being. You know, I can't sit back and allow our rights, our civil rights or human rights to be trampled on. And I think about this 12-year-old here in the Columbus area whose mother reached out to me to say, Jim, what could you say to my son? He's 12 years old. But when he heard what Justices Thomas and Alito had to say, he asked me, mom, what will happen? Will I ever be able to exercise that right that our nation won five years ago? And that's heartbreaking. So I think about David. I think about the kids across our nation who are growing up in a better world than I did. But I want to make sure that they continue to have hope, to have that promise of a better world than what I had, so I will continue to speak out on my own as a member of the staff of family equality and any way that I can, because we deserve the right to be part of we the people, on the same terms and with the same rights as everyone else in our nation.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Jim Obergefell, pleasure talking to you. Thank you so much.</s>OBERGEFELL: Thanks, Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, President Trump returns to the Oval Office without a mask and tomorrow he's back on the campaign trail. But will it be safe? Dr. Saju Mathew is standing by. Plus, is there a credibility problem at the CDC? The former acting director of the agency makes a blunt assessment.

Dr. Fauci Says He Did Not Consent To Appear In New Trump Ad

WHITFIELD: All right, this just in. Dr. Anthony Fauci tells CNN that he did not consent to appear in a campaign ad for President Donald J. Trump. The new ad was released this week and it's airing in Michigan. Take a look.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump is recovering from the coronavirus, and so is America. Together we rose to meet the challenge. President Trump tackled the virus head on, as leaders should.</s>DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more.</s>WHITFIELD: Well, Dr. Fauci just released this statement to CNN, saying, in my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of the context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials, that coming from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease doctor. All right, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told fellow Democrats today that until serious issues are resolved, I'm quoting now, we remain at an impasse, end quote, over a new federal stimulus. President Trump is offering a $1.8 trillion deal to the Democrats, far below the $2.2 trillion the Democrats are asking for. Speaking to CNN this morning, White House Economic Adviser Larry Kudlow said this.</s>LARRY KUDLOW, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER: Secretary Mnuchin is at the 1.8 trillion. So the bid and the offer is now in somewhat between the two sides. President Trump actually has always said -- I mean, I've heard him say it in the Oval, as far as the key elements are concerned, the checks, the unemployment assistance, the small business assistance, we have got to help airlines out.</s>WHITFIELD: As Congress haggles over a new stimulus package, millions of Americans remain jobless due to the pandemic and many have run out of supplemental unemployment benefits as well. I want to talk about this with Kevin Ryan, he is the president of Covenant House, an aid organization that help thousands of kids and young families overcome homelessness every year, along with helping young victims of trafficking, and that's here in Atlanta. So, good to see you. What does stimulus money mean to your organization and to trying to help so many young people every day, and what does it mean to the ongoing efforts to try offer aid to people who are really suffering right now?</s>KEVIN RYAN, PRESIDENT, COVENANT HOUSE: Well, thanks for having me. There are so many Americans suffering right now, and the Covenant House, we see so many young people who are coming to us who haven't eaten in a long time, whose parents have died from COVID, who have been evicted. The stimulus talks are about them. They're about the children and families in this country who are suffering in a deep and profound way and who need the government's intervention in order to be safe and healthy and to move on productively. So many kids' lives are at stakes now, that the stakes in these talks could not be higher.</s>WHITFIELD: And you've been doing a long time, for 30 years, I understand. And you have really seen many levels of need. But then I understand right now this is probably the worst level of child hunger that you have ever witnessed.</s>RYAN: We see in all 31 cities where we're working, whether it's St. Louis, or Philadelphia, or Hollywood, or Washington, D.C. We see young people coming in, telling us over and over and over again, I haven't eaten in a couple days or I haven't eaten in a week, or my family was evicted, and my mom is living here, and I'm trying to find a play where I can live. The number of young people who, everyday, are relying on Covenant House and other non-profits for food security and food support is at least, in my experience over the 30 years, completely unprecedented. I mean, kids who were perhaps eating in their high schools, which are now closed, or their colleges and universities which are now virtual, or young people who were working in restaurants, who were catching dinner as servers in restaurants, are all now depending on our Covenant Houses in order to provide food supports to them.</s>WHITFIELD: You're coming to us from Connecticut. You have a Covenant House here in Atlanta. I've heard the stories here in Atlanta about young people who have had nowhere to go, and Covenant House was the place. They were able to seek refuge, and then perhaps even continue on with their education. How -- what's your look at, you know short-term? I mean, how much longer can the Covenant House, or even organizations like yours, you know, try to reach out and have enough sustenance and space to meet the growing need?</s>RYAN: Well, actually, Fredricka, I'm in New Jersey, our Covenant Houses across the country have many young people who are coming in as a result of eviction. Now, in my home state, the governor issued a moratorium on evictions very early on, and prohibited utilities from being turned off. But that's not true in most of the country. And so there are young people who will tell us, well, I was squatting for a month or two, but I haven't had electricity. And the truth is that the virus, in many respects, has us and children and families cornered, but love have something else entirely in mind. If you think about what's been happening over the course of the last year, in the midst of sickness and death, it's really these hero helpers who have been giving us all a master class in the moral leadership that we all need right now. Think about the doctors and the nurses, the postal workers, grocery store clerks. I think about the Broadway seamstresses who haven't been employed for months and months, and are sending us PPE so that we have enough masks to take care of young people. This really is how America will see its way through this. We have to be there for each other.</s>WHITFIELD: We do indeed. All right, Kevin Ryan, President of the Covenant House, thank you so much. And, of course, for all of you watching, if you want to help, you can. You can check out their website. Kevin Ryan, thank you so much.</s>RYAN: Thank you.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead, a peaceful protest ends with gunshots, a man in police custody after a deadly shooting, and investigators say he was protecting journalists.

Verbal Altercation Near Two Protests In Denver Ends With One Man Dead, Suspect In Custody

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. One man is dead and another in custody after dueling protests in Denver. CNN's Natasha Chen joins me with more details. Natasha?</s>NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, these protests were happening yesterday in Denver. And the shooting happened just after about 3:30 local time. Just one hour ago, Denver Police confirmed the name of the person they have in custody, 33-year-old Matthew Dolloff, which a local news station says is a person they hired as private security to accompany their staff covering the protests.</s>CHEN: As two rival protests in Denver's Civic Center Park were about to end Saturday afternoon --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's important to be able to show our free speech rights.</s>CHEN: CNN affiliate KMGH says this gunshot was heard in the middle of their interview. The station's footage then shows police running towards someone on the ground.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I turned around, I saw the two -- the victim and the suspect facing each other, very close range, two feet, or arm's distance. And he already had he hands up at the moment I turned around.</s>CHEN: Police say 30-year-old Matthew Dolloff was taken into custody and another man was shot, later pronounced dead at the hospital. Police say Dolloff was being held on investigation of first-degree murder. Another CNN affiliate, KUSA 9News says the person taken into custody was a private security guard contracted by the station. A 9News story on this incident says, quote, it has been the practice of 9News for a number of months to contract private security to accompany staff at protests.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm wondering what possible explanation. There didn't seem to be an altercation, there wasn't any yelling coming from that way.</s>CHEN: But Denver Police say there was a verbal altercation.</s>DIVISION CHIEF JOE MONTOYA, DIVISION CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS, DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT: The firearm was discharged. The individual was shot, and later pronounced deceased. There were two guns recovered at the scene.</s>CHEN: Along with a canister of pepper spray. Denver Police have since confirmed on Twitter that the person in custody is a security guard not affiliated with Antifa.</s>MONTOYA: We don't want any erroneous misinformation going out, any speculation, because that's really what hurts us. And that's what gets everybody angry and motivated to commit more violence, and that's what we're trying to prevent.</s>CHEN: Denver Police have the help of at least three sheriff's departments on Saturday and said they went to great lengths to separate the patriot rally from the counterprotest, which organizers called a BLM/Antifa suit drive (ph).</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The rally was supposed to be about basically understanding what was happening with the police brutality within the United States of America. And now, it resulted in this. This is not okay.</s>CHEN: And we reached out to the Denver Police Department to see if Mr. Dolloff has an attorney for representation for comment. We'll let you know when they get back to us, Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Natasha Chen, thank you so much. All right, up next, they put their lives on the line to protect the United States. Now, some veterans are facing dire circumstances because of the coronavirus. A closer look at their struggles, straight ahead.

Pandemic Intensifies Struggles For America's Veterans.

WHITFIELD: Too many American war veterans were already struggling with homelessness or financial insecurity. The pandemic has only made things worse. Vets now face an unemployment rate that is almost double the national average. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich talked with two vets just trying to survive.</s>VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Tyrone Roark found himself homeless in the middle of a pandemic.</s>TYRONE ROARK, HOMELESS VETERAN: I was very terrified.</s>YURKEVICH: He went shelter to shelter, afraid he could get the coronavirus with his compromised immune system.</s>ROARK: I just try to survive either by stayed in my bed, sleeping most of the time and figuring out how I was going to get out of it.</s>YURKEVICH: Roark, an Air Force veteran who served the country for ten year, and another ten with the Department of Veteran Affairs, was out of a job and in poor health. In June, he says the stress put him in the hospital with the heart failure, and that put him in a walker.</s>ROARK: The emotional stress is causing a great deal of serious concerns here for my heart.</s>YURKEVICH: Last year, 37,000 veterans were homeless in the U.S. Advocacy groups say the pandemic could make it worse.</s>JAMES FITZGERALD, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, NYC VETERANS ALLIANCE: We had a lot of those homeless individuals that were still dealing with ongoing mental health issues, which leads to higher rates of homelessness as well, disproportionate amounts of unemployment.</s>YURKEVICH: The unemployment rate for veterans was 2.8 percent at the end of last year. But when the pandemic hit, that number more than quadrupled. Even today, more than half a million veterans are still searching for work. Timothy McDonough spent 21 and a half years in the military. He walked away with a traumatic brain injury, PTSD and 14 surgeries. Now, he is facing financial uncertainty.</s>TIMOTH MCDONOUGH, VETERAN FACING FINANCIAL UNCERTAINTY: One major tire blowout or losing a car away from looking to borrow money from somewhere else. So it's really kind of tight.</s>YURKEVICH: Made worse by the fact that his girlfriend lost her job in March right when they got their new home. They say the extra $600 on unemployment helped keep them afloat. But without it, they rely on his disability checks.</s>EVA DUNNE, UNEMPLOYED: We're getting back into, okay, we have to really start focusing, budgeting, planning, because we don't exactly know what the future looks like just yet.</s>YURKEVICH: Their hope is they will both have new jobs as food truck owners feeding homeless vets, him at the stove, her taking orders. They say the need now is more than ever. You want to start this food truck. Are you concerned about the economic recovery as well?</s>MCDONOUGH: Absolutely. Because, again, thinking of doing it as a non- profit, we would rely on the goodness of other people to give money to help us get it going.</s>YURKEVICH: The V.A. says it paid out $600 million in stimulus to veteran families and placed 15,000 homeless vets in hotels. A local veteran group finally got Roark into a hotel. Now that he says he has his V.A. pension, he's searching for a permanent home.</s>ROARK: I don't understand the system in terms of how system it's supposed to work. There's a lot of politicians out there, a lot of agencies, a lot of folks saying we're here to help, but I'm in a hotel.</s>YURKEVICH: Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, New York.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up next, the Patriots sidelined again because of coronavirus. More on that, plus new trouble for the Tennessee Titans.

Donald Trump Set To Return To Campaign Trail After Contracting Coronavirus; Judge Amy Coney Barrett Stresses Late Justice Scalia's Influence In Opening Statement To Senate

DAN MULLEN, FLORIDA GATORS HEAD COACH: I will certainly say that. I know our governor passed that role. So certainly, hopefully the university administration decides to let us pack the swamp for LSU next week.</s>QUESTION: You say 90 -- you want to see 90,000?</s>MULLEN: I absolutely want to see 90,000 in the swamp this year. There were -- I don't think the section behind our bench, I didn't see an empty seat. It was packed. The entire student section must have been 50,000 people behind our bench going crazy.</s>COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Texas A&M listed their attendance at nearly 25,000 fans for that game yesterday. Now in Florida, despite the Governor's reopening plans, the Miami Dolphins, Fred, said officials said this week they will continue to limit their capacity to 13,000 given the positivity rates where they are.</s>FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: On the line, all right, Coy Wire, thank you so much. Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. President Trump isn't giving up on the idea of a second presidential debate. The White House is now calling for the Commission on Presidential Debates to reschedule this week's canceled event claiming the President is no longer contagious. This, as Trump prepares to return to the campaign trail tomorrow for the first time since testing positive for the coronavirus 10 days ago. The President is set to travel to a rally in Florida with Election Day just 23 days away now. He also has scheduled rallies in Pennsylvania, Tuesday and in Iowa, Wednesday; and today the President claiming he is, quote, "immune" from coronavirus, even though there is no medical evidence of immunity. And tomorrow also marks the start of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Judge Barrett's nomination are scheduled to run through the week through Thursday as Republicans push to fill the Supreme Court vacancy ahead of Election Day.' Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is now calling on Judge Barrett to recuse herself from some significant decisions, should she be confirmed to the High Court.</s>SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Given Judge Barrett's conflicts of interest, she should recuse herself from any decision involving the Affordable Care Act and its protections and any decision related to the election that we will have on November 3rd. The process is already illegitimate, dangerous and unpopular. All the more reason she should be recused; she is being rushed through to decide decisions that she has already seems to have made up her mind on.</s>WHITFIELD: The controversial hearings and the President's questionable return to the campaign trail come as the U.S. records a fourth consecutive day of more than 50,000 new COVID-19 infections. All right, let's begin with that new request from the White House for a rescheduled second debate. CNN's Arlette Saenz is here along with Jeremy Diamond at the White House. So Jeremy, you first, what more are you learning?</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was just a few days ago that President Trump said that he would not participate in the second presidential debate after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the second debate would be a virtual one. Following the President's decision to pull out of that, the Commission announced that it was going to cancel that second debate altogether. But now, the White House is saying that the President would like to participate and they think that it should be in-person given that President Trump has been cleared by his doctor to return to public activities. Here's the White House's Deputy Communications Director, Brian Morgenstern.</s>BRIAN MORGENSTERN, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: The President is ready to debate and his doctors have cleared him for participating in public engagements. They've said he is no longer a risk for transmission, so it would be nice if the Commission would get the debate back on the schedule. I think, you know, the President is ready to go. He wants to be on stage debating Joe Biden in person. So if -- if they'll do that, get it back on the schedule, I think the President would be happy to show up.</s>DIAMOND: Now, the President's doctor, Dr. Sean Conley did indeed say that the President's latest PCR test for coronavirus shows that the President is not a risk for transmission, saying that there's no detectable virus there. But there are still a number of questions about the President's health and the White House hasn't yet provided Dr. Sean Conley to actually answer questions from the press on this matter. And meanwhile, the President is still spreading misleading information about coronavirus. This time, it relates to himself and the question of whether or not the President is now immune from the coronavirus. The President tweeting, "A total and complete sign off from White House doctors yesterday. That means I can't get it. Immune. And can't give it. Very nice to know." Now Twitter has actually attached a warning label to that tweet saying that it violates Twitter's rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information. That's because while there is believed to be some degree of immunity conferred by someone who has had coronavirus, there is no clear data that suggests that that immunity is permanent and what level of immunity there is. In fact, the C.D.C. stresses that there is no scientific evidence yet that you are completely immune from the virus once you have already had it, and you have the President here suggesting otherwise -- Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, thanks, Jeremy and Arlette, what has the Biden campaign said, if anything about President Trump making this request now?</s>ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred for several days, Joe Biden's campaign has argued that President Trump is not the one who dictates the debates schedule. On Thursday, they released a statement after the President had suggested moving one of the debates to October 29th, something that the Biden campaign has said that they will not do. But from the beginning, when the Debate Commission announced that that second presidential debate would be virtual, the Biden campaign said they were game that Joe Biden would participate in a virtual format of a debate. But it was the President who said that a virtual debate was essentially a no-go for him, and at that point, the Biden campaign moved forward with making other plans scheduling a Town Hall with another network for the night of that second presidential debate, October 15th in Philadelphia. And earlier this morning, Deputy Campaign Manager, Kate Bedingfield was on CNN's "State of the Union" with Jake Tapper and talked about their thinking about these debates. Take a listen to what she had to say.</s>KATE BEDINGFIELD, DEPUTY CAMPAIGN MANAGER AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, BIDEN 2020 CAMPAIGN: He -- Donald Trump refused to participate in a virtual Town Hall, so we instead scheduled a national network televised Town Hall so that Joe Biden can take questions from voters, and we have every intention and every expectation that we will be there on the 22nd as well.' But we're not going to let Donald Trump write the rules. He doesn't get to set the calendar.</s>SAENZ: Now the Biden campaign has also suggested that the October 22nd debate take the format of a Town Hall as that second presidential debate was initially scheduled to be. There has been no indication that the format of that October 22nd of debate will change. For now, everything seems to be moving forward for that debate that is going to be held in Nashville. Now tomorrow, Joe Biden is hitting the campaign trail in Ohio, which recent polls have shown the race being very tight between President Trump and Joe Biden despite President Trump winning that state by about eight points back in 2016. Biden will be visiting two cities, Toledo and Cincinnati both areas that went Democratic back in 2016, as they are hoping to boost turnout in that very competitive state -- Fred.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Arlette Saenz and Jeremy Diamond, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it. All right, the other big breaking story, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, the hearings begin tomorrow. Joining me right now is CNN congressional reporter Lauren Fox. So Lauren, what can be expected tomorrow?</s>LAUREN FOX, CNN POLITICS U.S. CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well expect this to be the first opportunity that Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are going to have to actually start questioning the nominee. Now tomorrow is really laying the table for how this four-day confirmation process is going to go. Essentially, you're going to have all the members on the Judiciary Committee starting with the Chairman, Lindsey Graham and then Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, all of them will be making their opening statements. That's going to take most of the day tomorrow. Then after the lunch break, you're going to have an opportunity where Amy Coney Barrett, the nominee will actually be introduced. She will be sworn in and then she will give her opening statement and we expect that she is going to be highlighting the fact that it's not just the law that has had an impact on her life, but also her other activities. She says quote, "There is a tendency in our profession to treat the practice of law as an all-consuming thing while losing sight of everything else. But that makes for a shallow and unfulfilling life. I worked hard as a lawyer and a Professor. I owe that to my clients, my students and myself, but I never let the law define my identity or crowd out the rest of my life." Now also expect that the fact that the coronavirus is still raging to also loom large over these hearings. Remember it was just a little over a week ago, Fredricka, that we received the news the two members of the Judiciary Committee, Mike Lee and Thom Tillis had both tested positive for the coronavirus. So all eyes are going to be on whether or not those two senators are going to be there in-person later in the week when a critical vote is expected to begin happening on Thursday. Of course, if they are not present, that affects the timeline of this confirmation process. Now Democrats have said all along that it's not safe to hold this hearing. But Republicans like Senator Ted Cruz have argued that that's just a delay tactic coming from Democrats. Here's what Cruz said earlier.</s>SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): I think they are looking for anything to delay things even a day or two or three. And I think that Senate Republicans will follow the guidance, the medical guidance of the Capitol physician and we will go through -- we've managed to have hearings for months in a way that has been safe and has protected everyone's safety.</s>FOX: And Fredricka, tomorrow is going to look so different than what we have seen in past SCOTUS nomination hearings given the fact of all these coronavirus safety precautions that are going to be taking place.</s>FOX: Expect that members are only going to have one staff member for every single senator in the room. Also expect that there's going to be a lot less press on the floor of the Judiciary Committee hearing room and of course, no public visitors who are going to be able to be in the room for this confirmation hearing process -- Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: Very different, indeed. Sign of the times. All right. Thank you so much, Lauren Fox. All right. Up next. The battle over mail-in voting heats up as a judge temporarily allows Texas to limit ballot drop off locations. What impact will that have on the election? Plus, a troubling prediction from former C.D.C. Director, Dr. Tom Frieden. He predicts 20,000 more Americans will die of coronavirus by the end of the month.

Interview With Mayor Francis Suarez (R), Miami.

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Election Day, only 23 days away and it is unclear if voters will have one or two more presidential debates to help them make up their minds. Just a couple of hours ago, the Trump administration announcing that it is asking to reschedule the second debate originally set for this Thursday in Miami because Trump's doctor says Trump is no longer considered a transmission risk to others.</s>WHITFIELD: The Commission officially canceled this week's debate after Trump refused to do it virtually because of his COVID diagnosis. Joining me right now is Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. Mayor Francis Suarez, good to see you. So your city was supposed to host the second debate scheduled for this Thursday. Then it was cancelled after Trump said no to a virtual debate. And now we have this breaking news about the White House wanting it back on. So what do you make of these latest developments? Has anyone contacted you about whether it could still happen in Miami?</s>MAYOR FRANCIS SUAREZ (R), MIAMI, FLORIDA: They haven't contacted us yet. Obviously, if the President decides to come to Miami, you know, for anything, including a debate, we get some advanced orders from the Secret Service so that we can prepare and we can have our police departments prepared for the President's arrival. We would love to have a debate in Miami. We think Miami is a wonderful venue to have a debate, given the fact that Florida is, you know, the largest state with the most electoral votes that are up for grabs. And so I think, you know, it's actually going to be key for the presidential election. So we think that Miami is a perfect venue to have the debate. Clearly, we want the President to be here healthy. I think he is 10 days from the day that it was announced that he was COVID positive. On day 11, when I was in quarantine, I tested positive on day 11, so I was still positive. Not everybody is the same. Obviously, not everybody's body is the same and I'm not saying that he is positive. But I was positive on day 11. It wasn't until day 17 that I actually tested negative for the first time. So you know, that's just something that that was -- you know, my circumstance.</s>WHITFIELD: So if you were the hosting city for, you know, this debate, if it were back on again, what would you want required of the President in terms of any kind of testing assurances that he would be that he is no longer contagious or infected?</s>SUAREZ: You know, I think for his own benefit and for the benefit of those around him, I think the safest course would be for him to have tested negative. The protocol that I followed was that I tested negative twice in a 24- hour period. I tested negative once on day 17th, I tested negative twice on day 18. I think that's the safest protocol. But I'm not an expert. Obviously, I'm not the C.D.C. So, you know, I'm sure that whatever precautions need to be taken, I presume, and I hope that the President will take them because they not only ensure his own health, but they ensure the health of those around him who could be exposed to him.</s>WHITFIELD: And of course, we have yet even in that memo from the President's doctor, there's no real clarity on whether he has indeed tested negative, and we have yet to see, you know, when he -- when his last test of negative was before his diagnosis, you know, 10 days ago. So the Trump campaign is also scheduling more live events, regardless of all of that, including a rally in Sanford, Florida. It will be in an airport hangar. But does that, you know, make Trump or even perhaps his people, his supporters more susceptible, vulnerable, potentially, you know, by them gathering?</s>SUAREZ: You know, I think the other thing you have to consider now is just the health and the safety of those who participate in any of those events. But God forbid, if somebody does get sick, or if the event turns out to be a super spread event, that's obviously not going to be positive news for him going into the stretch run of a campaign. So I think, just for political reasons, if not just for health and safety reasons, everybody should be as careful as they possibly can, you know, given the fact that we're going into flu season right now, and there's a heightened sense of worry with many sectors of the economy opening. And the thought that you know, that this could be hopefully either the end, or it could be another wave -- the beginning of another wave, and we're hoping that it's not that, obviously.</s>WHITFIELD: Do worry about whether the President going out rallying again, whether that even puts the scheduled October 22nd debate, possibly in jeopardy?</s>SUAREZ: You know, I don't know enough about his medical condition, and I'm not a doctor, so I don't really want to speculate about his health. I just know that when I was sick, you know, I did not leave my house until I had two positive -- I am sorry, two negative tests consecutively. Not only did I do that for my own health. You know, I didn't know exactly how this virus can affect me, but I did it because I wanted to prove to anyone who may come close, you know, get into some close contact with me as the mayor of a major city, that I was safe to be around. And so I think that was the other reason why I wanted to be very public about my results.</s>WHITFIELD: Schools in Miami Dade County began to reopen for face-to- face classes in this kind of staggered fashion last Monday. You know, two days ago, health officials reported three students and one employee tested positive for coronavirus. It's been you know roughly three weeks since the Governor banned the mask fines that you and other cities and counties had in place. So, you know, how do you assure parents and families that their kids and teachers are safe right now in schools face-to-face?</s>SUAREZ: You know, it's obviously very worrisome. You know, we have one of the largest school systems in the United States with 300,000 children and about 40,000 adult teachers. So you're talking about, you know, almost the amount of people that it would be the size of a city like Miami or a city similar in size to Miami, coming back into the stream of commerce. So that is obviously a concern. Like you said, you know, it's been difficult for us to find people with masks because the fines are not collectible right now. They will not be collectible until after the Governor's order expires, and then the Governor also ordered bars and nightclubs open. So we're trying to navigate that as safely as possible. So far, we have not yet seen a significant spike. We are hopeful that we don't see one, obviously; but we are worried and concerned, because all the elements for one, are there.</s>WHITFIELD: Once those, you know, banning the fines took place, what have been your observations quickly about people's behavior? Have people been forthright and still wearing the masks? Or do you think that people kind of, you know, become a little bit more lax because they don't have the threat of a fine in your city?</s>SUAREZ: There's definitely been a diminishment and there's been a lot of confusion over sort of a mishmash of rules and there's definitely been what I've seen to be more socializing in ways that are not -- you know, that are sort of not in conformity with the rules. So yes, there are definitely some elements there that concern me. I've expressed that to the Coronavirus Taskforce in my calls with them, in my weekly calls with them. But we're hoping that you know, the worst- case scenario does not pan out that way.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Mayor Francis Suarez, continue to be well. Thanks so much for being with us.</s>SUAREZ: Thank you, Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: And we'll be right back.

Trump Holds First White House Event Since Coronavirus Diagnosis; Key Model Projects 394,000 U.S. COVID-19 Deaths by February 1st

BORGER: And maybe you would have won?</s>BALDICK: We'll never know.</s>ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hi, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and from all around the world. Welcome. You're watching CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow.</s>ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Robyn Curnow.</s>CURNOW: Thanks for joining me this hour. A little more than a week after Donald Trump announced his coronavirus diagnosis, his doctor has cleared the U.S. president to return to an active schedule. Now in a memo, Dr. Sean Conley says Mr. Trump is no longer a transmission risk and meets CDC criteria to stop isolating. But there are still so many things we don't know about the president's illness, like whether or not he's actually tested negative for the virus. Dr. Conley's memo doesn't say that. And Mr. Trump certainly wasn't waiting for that information to be made public before he started holding rallies again. Just hours ago, he gave a speech at the White House in front of a packed audience, as you can see here. It was the president's first public event since his coronavirus diagnosis, and he says the virus is starting to go away.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Through the power of the American -- the American spirit, I think more than anything else, science, medicine, we'll eradicate the China virus, once and for all. We'll get rid of it all over the world. You see big flare-ups in Europe. Big flare-ups in Canada. Very big flare-up in Canada, you saw that today. A lot of flare-ups but it's going to disappear. It is disappearing and vaccines are going to help. And the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>CURNOW: Now back to that memo from the president's doctor clearing him to leave isolation. It was full of praise for the president's condition but really didn't give quite a lot of detail. Jeremy Diamond breaks down now what we know and what we don't.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, 10 days after the White House says President Trump first tested positive for coronavirus, the president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, is now clearing him for a return to public activities. Dr. Conley writing in a new memo released late Saturday night that the president is no longer considered a risk of transmission for this coronavirus to others. Now, let me read you a part of this memo from Dr. Sean Conley, where he writes, "This evening I am happy to report that in addition to the president meeting CDC criteria for the safe discontinuation of isolation, this morning's COVID PCR sample demonstrates, by currently recognized standards, he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others. Now, at day 10 from symptom onset, fever free for well over -- for well over 24 hours, and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no longer evidence of actively-replicating virus." And Dr. Conley also goes on to say that he will continue to monitor the president's health, as he returns to a more active schedule. Now, President Trump, of course, didn't wait for this memo before holding an event on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday. The president did stay at quite a distance from the several hundred people who attended this event on the south lawn of the White House. But those folks, while they were mostly wearing masks, they were also not observing any social distancing. Packed quite closely together, just two weeks after that event in the Rose Garden of the White House, that is now considered a super spreader event and perhaps the origin point for many of those positive coronavirus tests that we have since seen at the White House. President Trump needed this memo, though, in order to get some more public confidence in his return to an active schedule. And that is exactly what he is going to be doing this coming week. The president hitting three battleground states, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Iowa, this coming week. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.</s>CURNOW: Thanks, Jeremy, for that update. So a model that's often been overlooked during this pandemic has given the U.S. a serious wakeup call so I want to show you some of this data. The model is based on current conditions so let's look at what those are right now. As you can see here, most states are seeing an increase in cases compared to a week ago. At this hour, Johns Hopkins University has the number of lives lost in the U.S. at slightly more than 214,000. The University of Washington model projects a total of almost 400,000 COVID deaths by February 1st in the U.S. Now the model also says that if social distancing mandates are relaxed, that number could easily surpass half a million people dying. But that same model also predicts that if almost everyone in the U.S. wore masks, tens of thousands of lives would be saved. Well, Dr. Jorge Rodriguez is an internal medicine and viral specialist. He joins me now from Los Angeles. Doctor, lovely to see you again. I just want to get your take on these projections. I mean, they're stunning and they're desperately concerning.</s>DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE AND VIRAL SPECIALIST: They are. But they're also right on the money. The University of Washington's projections said that we would have approximately 214,000 cases by a few days ago, and we are there. I have no reason to doubt these projections. What I think is very important is that, at the lowest, if we continue doing as we are, we're going to have 390 or so cases by the end of February. And if we do not act even more responsibly, it could go up as high as half a million. And they're projecting that, in the world, at that time, we could have a total of four million deaths. Approximately 30,000 a day, which is really startling. And all we have to do to try to decrease that tremendously is to put on masks, to wash our hands, and to respect social distancing.</s>CURNOW: Yes. It's simple but those numbers again as you say, I mean, it's just --</s>RODRIGUEZ: Startling.</s>CURNOW: Startling. So I want to get your opinion as a doctor. As our colleague and correspondent was reporting from the White House, this letter from the president's physician. What are the key takeaways for you as you try and decode it?</s>RODRIGUEZ: Well, you know, I agree with a lot of my colleagues that are calling this a master class in medical deception because of its ambiguity. The -- there's so many things in it that is sort of like medical speak but don't really get down to the point which is, does the president currently have infectious droplets? They measure viral loads and things like that, that disappear after six days. So we don't know whether he is infectious. But something that was interesting to me, the CDC says that if you have been 10 days after your first symptoms and you've been isolated, then it's probably safe for you to go out. Well, this changes the timeline of the president having his first symptoms somewhere around the end of September or October 1st, which would be that Wednesday. And we know that he did public speeches and such on that Thursday. So it's all so ambiguous. If nothing else, the CDC also says that if you have a serious episode of this infection that maybe you should isolate for 20 days. The fact that we don't, you know, know specifics tend to tell us that this is becoming more of a political decision than a medical recommendation.</s>CURNOW: But also, if you could give us a sense. President -- as you saw, the president gave a speech at the White House today. He is planning public rallies over the next few days after being hospitalized a week ago. So based on the president's weight, his age, what we know about the severity of his illness, is he out of the woods now? As a doctor, would you recommend that he still stay in bed?</s>RODRIGUEZ: Yes, absolutely, I would not recommend that he go out and do all of these rallies that he is doing. If nothing else, for his own speech. My patients sometimes are four to six weeks out and they're still feeling winded. You know, I think it's interesting that the president, who usually gives these Fidel Castro-type, lengthy speeches, only spoke for 18 minutes. And I think that is all, you know, that his body can really tolerate right now. The weaker he makes himself by stressing his body, by flying, by taking long hours, the more likely he is to, not only relapse but perhaps get very seriously ill.</s>CURNOW: He says he's doing fine and that he is recovered. So he will be -- he will be going on these rallies. You know, as certainly, he seems to be making an effort to get better. Thank you very much.</s>RODRIGUEZ: Yes. Yes. I think the --</s>CURNOW: Dr. Rodriguez -- yes, carry on.</s>RODRIGUEZ: Yes. Yes. You know, the president does not shy away from hyperbole. But this time it may come back to haunt him a little bit.</s>CURNOW: Thank you very much, Doctor. Good to speak to you.</s>RODRIGUEZ: Likewise.</s>CURNOW: So British prime minister is set to announce new coronavirus restrictions on Monday to try and end the surge in cases there. Now the British Medical Association, meanwhile, is calling for face masks to be made mandatory in all office spaces and outdoors, when social distancing isn't possible. Neighboring France is once again hitting an all-time high in daily COVID cases. Beating a record that was set just a day earlier. Now the country recorded nearly 27,000 new cases on Saturday alone. Germany is also reporting an increase in cases. The country's public health institute is now confirming nearly 320,000 total infections. So coming up on CNN, with less than a month to go before the presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden is getting out the vote and reaching across the aisles in Pennsylvania. We'll talk about that, next.

Biden Continues to Reach Across Political Divide in Pennsylvania

CURNOW: Welcome back. I'm Robyn Curnow. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden may be leading in the polls but he's still reaching out to independents and disaffected Republicans. Biden was in his birth state of Pennsylvania on Saturday. In his remarks he said he had worked as hard for those who don't support him as those who do. He's also traced America's current economic woes to the president's mishandling of the pandemic. Here's Jessica Dean with more on that -- Jessica.</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigning in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday. He traveled here to Erie, Pennsylvania. It's in a county that President Trump won narrowly back in 2016 and it is tailormade for Biden's economic message that he's been delivering specifically to white working class voters in towns like Erie. Notably, Biden touring a training facility at a union hall before giving remarks that really could be described as his bread-and-butter economic message.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The top 100 billionaires in the middle of this pandemic, they made $300 billion additional. Hear me now? One hundred individuals made $300 billion this year. And what did the bottom half get? They got the kick, they got the slide down because the fact is the president can only see the world from Park Avenue. I see it from Scranton, I see it from Claymont, for real. You all know what I'm talking about. You all see it from Erie.</s>DEAN: In the meantime, Vice President Biden's campaign reported that he underwent PCR testing, that's the gold standard COVID test, on Saturday and that test came back negative. The campaign has said that Joe Biden will continue to be tested regularly and always when he travels. Jessica Dean, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.</s>CURNOW: CNN Politics White House reporter Stephen Collinson joins me now from Washington. Stephen, hi, good to see you. So talk us through this latest communique from the White House doctor. If you don't mind, can you read between the lines for us? Because it's difficult to quite figure out what exactly they're trying to say.</s>STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, what it appears is, at least by the letter of the law, the president has now satisfied CDC recommendations for no longer being contagious, given the amount of time that's lapsed since his coronavirus diagnosis. But of course, given the way that the White House has obscured the truth and real information throughout his illness, I think there's grounds for doubt. The White House physician Sean Conley still doesn't confirm if the president has taken a negative COVID test and most interestingly the White House is still refusing to tell us the last time the president tested negative before he got sick. That, of course, is not just important for knowing how long that he was likely to be contagious -- he's right on that number of 10 days if we believe the date when he was first tested positive for COVID. But it's also very important to establish whether the president knew he was infected and carried on doing campaign events before we were told he got sick. And that is the reason perhaps that the White House is not telling us exactly when he last tested negative for coronavirus.</s>CURNOW: So talk us through these pictures that we're seeing now on the screen. The president speaking from the balcony at the White House to a largely African-American audience today. It was a pretty dark message. What was the reason for this?</s>COLLINSON: The president has been itching to get out on the campaign trail. Originally, he was even talking about going out on Saturday. We now know that there are three rallies in Pennsylvania, Iowa and Florida, scheduled for next week. But it's all about getting pictures of the president back in the race. Let's face it, there are three weeks and a couple of days left in this campaign. The president is behind. He needs to get himself on television. He needs to convince people that he is recovered and that he's fit to campaign. The fact this was an event that was focusing on minority support is interesting. Of course, the president has been trying to peel away African-American male voters from the Democrats who traditionally vote for the Democrats. This could be important in some states like Georgia, which is unexpectedly close. And Biden needs -- former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, needs to get big African-American turnout in cities like Cleveland, in Ohio, in Philadelphia or in Pennsylvania and some of these swing states to offset the president's popularity in more rural areas. And that was something that Hillary Clinton didn't do. You could say, if you were a cynic, that the real reason that he started campaigning again with a minority event was to do a little bit of clear-up over that failure to immediately condemn white supremacy in the presidential debate.</s>CURNOW: Let's talk about Vice President Biden. What's his messaging? It certainly seems like he is trying to pick up disaffected voters, former Trump supporters who might have changed their mind or are still wavering, independents. How successful is he being at that?</s>COLLINSON: Well, if you look at the polls nationally and in swing states, he is doing pretty well. You know, since that first debate in which the president behaved in an exceedingly belligerent manner, Biden appears to have stretched his lead in the polls. Now, you know, we don't know whether to trust the poll; some of the polls were wrong the last time around, especially in battleground states. But you have to say that the former vice president is ahead in these this race. He's trying to lock in his gains. It's interesting that he was in Pennsylvania twice this week. He's really concentrating on consolidating that path to 270 electoral votes. If he were to win Pennsylvania, a state where he currently leads, and he has been doing well among independents and perhaps more moderate, non-populist Republican voters, he would almost be assured of the White House. So that's what the former vice president is doing here. And the fact that he now doesn't have to debate against Donald Trump again this week takes another area of risk off the table for him. And I would expect him to carry on this path of his visits to swing states over the next few days.</s>CURNOW: OK. Always good to speak to you. Always good to get your analysis. Stephen Collinson, live from D.C., thanks a lot.</s>COLLINSON: Thanks.</s>CURNOW: So coming up on CNN, U.S. residents along the Gulf Coast are reeling from back-to-back storms. We'll take a look at the damage caused by Hurricane Delta. That's next. Stay with us.

Louisiana Residents Hit Hard by Back-to-Back Storms.

CURNOW: Destruction and devastation. These images out of the U.S. state of Louisiana are after Hurricane Delta made landfall on Friday night. It's now categorized as a post-tropical cyclone, and it's worst. The storm knocked out power to a quarter of the state's residents. It downed power lines, trees and homes. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported. But heavy rains and flooding have been a huge problem as you can see from these images. Delta dropped more than a foot of rain on Louisiana. The storm also impacted other U.S. states along the Gulf Coast leaving millions of people under flash flood watches. And thousands of National Guardsmen are in Louisiana helping emergency crews. Residents of the state are reeling from these back-to-back storms as Martin Savidge now explains from Lake Charles -- Martin.</s>MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It turns out that Hurricane Delta was not the destructive killer that had been feared. Still, the governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards says that it had a greater impact on the western part of Louisiana than they had expected, primarily in the issue of knocking out power. In fact more people lost power during Hurricane Delta than they did during the much more powerful Hurricane Laura six weeks ago. In fact the governor says at the height of the outages during Delta, 25 percent of all electricity customers in the state lost power. The good news is it's not expected to take weeks to restore. The other good news so far no deaths had been attributed to the storm, although I'll underline so far. The awful irony here in Lake Charles is this community was so devastated by Hurricane Laura at the end of August, it's really hard to tell where the damage of one hurricane ends and the destruction of the next storm begins. But we do know there is additional damage here. We know that by the blue tarps, which were an indication of the families and homeowners starting to make the very basic repairs. Now you'll find blue tarps torn, shredded, ripped and strewn all over Lake Charles, which means that homes have been damaged again and the homeowners and the people who live in them will have to start over again, which there are signs they're already doing, relying on the help of their friends and neighbors in their community again. Martin Savidge, CNN, Lake Charles, Louisiana.</s>CURNOW: Thanks, Martin. So if you're looking for ways to help those impacted by Hurricane Delta the Impact Your World team can show you how. So go to CNN.com/backslash. OK. Thanks for watching CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow. I will be back with more news in just a moment.

Calls For Notre Dame President to Resign After Maskless WH Visit

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN NEWSROOM HOST: Hi. Welcome to CNN. I'm Robyn Curnow. So coming up on the show, Donald Trump has officially been cleared for travel. Hear everything we know about the president's health. Spoiler alert, it's not a lot. Coronavirus cases are spiking across the nation. One model says that it's going to get much, much worse before it gets better. And the story of a family on the frontlines risking it all to fight the virus.</s>ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with Robyn Curnow.</s>CURNOW: Great to have you along this hour. So President Donald Trump's doctor has cleared him to travel, to give speeches, and to start campaigning again. This just a little more than a week since he was diagnosed with COVID-19. In a memo, Dr. Sean Conley says Mr. Trump is no longer a transmission risk and meets the CDC criteria to stop isolating, but it leaves many questions about the president's health unanswered. We still don't know if he's tested negative for the virus, and we don't know what kind of tests he's been given to show he's no longer contagious. Jeremy Diamond breaks down the doctors note for us and tells us what's coming next.</s>JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, is now clearing him for a return to public activities. Dr. Conley writing in a new memo released late Saturday night that the president is no longer considered a risk of transmission for their coronavirus to others. Now, let me read you a part of this memo from Dr. Sean Conley where he writes, "This evening I'm happy to report that in addition to the president meeting CDC criteria for the safe discontinuation for isolation, this morning's COVID PCR sample demonstrates by currently recognized standards he is no longer considered a transmission risk to others. Now at day 10 from symptom onset, fever free for well over 24 hours, and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostics tests obtained revealed there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus." And Dr. Conley also goes on to say that he will continue to monitor the president's health as he returns to a more active schedule. Now, President Trump, of course, didn't wait for this memo before holding an event on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday. The president did stay at quite a distance from the several hundred people who attended this event on the South Lawn of the White House, but those folks while they were mostly wearing masks, they were also not observing any social distancing, packed quite closely together just two weeks after that event in the Rose Garden of the White House that is now considered a super spreader event and perhaps the origin point for many of those positive coronavirus tests that we have since seen at the White House. President Trump needed this memo, though, in order to get some more public confidence in his return to an active schedule, and that is exactly what he is going to be doing this coming week. The president hitting three battleground states - Florida, Pennsylvania, and Iowa - this coming week. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.</s>CURNOW: Thanks, Jeremy, for that. So President Trump's White House appearance on Saturday was his first public event since his coronavirus diagnosis, and he told the crowd he feels, quote, "Great." He's been upbeat about the trajectory of the virus in the U.S.. Too upbeat, though, according to health experts. Mr. Trump is saying the virus is already starting to go away, and he's using some racist language to make that point.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Through the power of the American - the American spirit I think more than anything else, science, medicine will eradicate the China virus once and for all. We'll get rid of it all over the world. You see big flare ups in Europe. Big flare ups in Canada. Very big flare up in Canada. You saw that today. A lot of flare ups, but it's going to disappear. It is disappearing, and where vaccines are going to help and the therapeutics are going to help a lot.</s>CURNOW: But a model that's often being looked at during this pandemic is certainly painting a different picture. The model is based on current conditions, so let's look at the way those are right now. As you can see here, most states are seeing an increase in cases compared to a week ago. At this hour, Johns Hopkins University has the number of lives lost in the U.S. at slightly more than 214,000. The University of Washington model projects a total of almost 400,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by the beginning of February. The model also says that if social distancing mandates are relaxed, that number could easily surpass half a million, but that same model predicts that if almost everyone in the U.S. wore masks, tens of thousands of lives would be saved. Dr. Jorge Rodriguez is an internal medicine and viral specialists. He joins me now from Los Angeles. Doctor, lovely to see you again.</s>DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE AND VIRAL SPECIALIST: Quite (ph).</s>CURNOW: I just want to get your take on these projections. I mean, they're stunning and they're desperately concerning.</s>RODRIGUEZ: They are, but they're also right on the money. The University of Washington's projections said that we would have approximately 214,000 cases by a few days ago, and we are there. I have no reason to doubt these projections. What I think is very important is that at the lowest if we continue doing as we are, we're going to have 390 or so cases by the end of February, and if we do not act even more responsibly it could go up as high as half a million. And they're projecting that in the world at that time we could have a total of four million deaths, approximately 30,000 a day, which is really startling, and all we have to do to try to decrease that tremendously is to put on masks, to wash our hands, and to respect social distancing.</s>CURNOW: Yes, it's simple, but those numbers, again, as you say, I mean, it's -</s>RODRIGUEZ: Startling.</s>CURNOW: -- just startling. So I want to get your opinion as a doctor. As our colleague and correspondent was reporting from the White House this letter from the president's physician. What are the key takeaways for you as you try and decode it?</s>RODRIGUEZ: Well you know, I agree with a lot of my colleagues that are calling this a master class in medical deception because of its ambiguity. There are so many things in it that is sort of like medical speak but don't really get down to the point, which is does the president currently have infectious droplets. They measure viral loads and things like that that disappear after six days. So we don't know whether he's infectious, but something that was interesting to me, the CDC says that if you have been 10 days after your first symptoms and you've been isolated, then it's probably safe for you to go out. Well this changes the timeline of the president having his first symptoms somewhere around the end of September or October 1, which would be that Wednesday, and we know that he did public speeches and such on that Thursday, so it's all so ambiguous. If nothing else the CDC also says that if you have a serious episode of this infection that maybe you should isolate for 20 days. The fact that we don't, you know, know specifics tend to tell us if this is becoming more of a political decision than a medical recommendation.</s>CURNOW: But also if you could give us a sense, this president - as you saw, the president gave a speech at the White House today. He's planning public rallies over the next few days after being hospitalized a week ago. So based on the president's weight, his age, what we know about the severity of his illness, is he out of the woods now?</s>RODRIGUEZ: If he -</s>CURNOW: As a doctor, would you recommend that he stayed in bed?</s>RODRIGUEZ: Yes, absolutely I would not recommend that he go out and do all of these rallies that he's doing. If nothing else for his own speech. My patients sometimes are four to six weeks out and they're still feeling winded. You know, I think it's interesting that the president who usually gives these Fidel Castro type lengthy speeches only spoke for 18 minutes, and I think that is all that his body can really tolerate right now. The weaker he makes himself by stressing his body, by flying, by taking long hours, the more likely he is to not only relapse but perhaps get very seriously ill.</s>CURNOW: Thanks so much Internal Medicine and Viral Specialist, Jorge Rodriguez, there. So Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, slammed President Trump on Saturday over Mr. Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his own illness. He headed to campaign stops in Pennsylvania, and Mr. Biden revealed his latest negative coronavirus test, and he also called on the president to listen to scientists.</s>CURNOW: Well at his campaign event in Pennsylvania, Biden reached out to independents and disaffected Republicans. Here's Jessica Dena with that. Jessica -</s>JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigning in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday. He travelled here to Erie, Pennsylvania. It's in a county that President Trump won narrowly back in 2016, and it is tailor made for Biden's economic message that he's been delivering specifically to white working-class voters in towns like Erie. Notably Biden touring a train facility at a union hall before giving remarks that really could be described as his bread and butter economic message.</s>BIDEN: The top 100 billionaires in the middle of this pandemic, they made $300 billion additional dollars. Hear me now, 100 individuals made $300 billion this year. And what'd the bottom half get? They got the kid (ph). They got the slide down because the fact is the president can only see the world from Park Avenue. I see it from Scranton. I see it from Claymont for real. You all know what I'm talking about. You all see it from Erie.</s>DEAN: In the meantime, Vice President Biden's campaign reported that he underwent PCR testing. That's the gold standard COVID test on Saturday, and that test came back negative. The campaign has said that Joe Biden will continue to be tested regularly and always when he travels. Jessica Dean, CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania.</s>CURNOW: CNN Politics White House Reporter, Stephen Collinson, joins me now from Washington. Stephen, hi. Good to see you. So talk us through these pictures that we're seeing now on the screen. The president speaking from the balcony at the White House to a largely African American audience today. It was a pretty dark message. What was the reason for this?</s>STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The president has been itching to get out on the campaign trail. Originally he was even talking about going out on Saturday. We now know that there are three rallies in Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Florida scheduled for next week, but it's all about getting pictures with the president back in the race. Let's face it. There are three weeks and a couple of days left in this campaign. The president is behind. He needs to get himself on television. He needs to convince people that he's recovered and he's fit to campaign. The fact this was an event focusing on minority supporters, interesting. Of course, the president has been trying to peel away African American male voters from the Democrats who traditionally vote for the Democrats. This could be important in some states like Georgia, which is unexpectedly close. And Biden needs - former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, needs to get big African American turnout in cities like Cleveland, in Ohio, in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, in some of these swing states to offset the president's popularity in more rural areas. And that was something that Hillary Clinton didn't do. You could say if you were a cynic that the real reason that he started campaigning again was with a minority event was to do a little bit of clear up over that failure to immediately condemn White Supremacy in the presidential debate.</s>CURNOW: Let's talk about Vice President Biden. What's his messaging? It certainly seems like he is trying to pick up disaffected voters, former Trump supporters who might have changed their mind or still wavering independence. How successful has he been at that?</s>COLLINSON: Well if you look at the polls in - nationally and in swing states, he's doing pretty well. You know, since that first debate in which the president behaved in an exceedingly belligerent manner, Biden appears to have stretched his lead in the polls. Now, you know, we don't know whether to trust the polls. Some of the polls were wrong the last time around, especially in battleground states, but you have to say that the vice - the former vice president is ahead in this race. He's trying to lock in his gains. It's interesting that he was in Pennsylvania twice this week. He's really concentrating on consolidating that path to 270 electoral votes. If he were to win Pennsylvania, a state where he currently leads, and he has been doing well among independents and perhaps more moderate, non-populist Republican voters, he would almost be assured of the White House. So that's what the former vice president is doing here. The fact that he now doesn't have to debate against Donald Trump again this week takes another area of risk off the table for him, and I would expect him to carry on this path of these visits to swing states over the next few days.</s>CURNOW: OK, always good to speak to you. Always good to get your analysis, Stephen Collinson live from D.C. Thanks a lot.</s>COLLINSON: Thanks.</s>CURNOW: Some polls are showing elderly voters flipping from Republican to Democrat in large numbers, so in the next hour we'll speak with an expert about why that is happening. It's a pretty fascinating conversation. And still to come, though, on CNN, the follow up from the super spreader event at the White House Rose Garden, why the president of a top university is now facing calls to resign and then this.</s>JULIA JIMENEZ, HEALTH CARE WORKER: Sometimes I do go to the break room and I take everything off and I just - I break down. I start crying.</s>CURNOW: How frontline workers in the U.S. are handling the pandemic now that a second wave of infections seems right around the corner even though the first wave isn't over.

Airline Industry Furloughs Thousands as Second Bailout Stalls

BREUNNA ROSS, FURLOUGHED AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANT: As all of you know the airline industry has been impacted greatly by this global pandemic.</s>PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT(voice over): One flight attendant, Breaunna Ross, addressed the passengers of her American Airlines Flight, she didn't expect to leave them with a tearful goodbye.</s>ROSS: For myself and one other crew member on our flight today this means we'll be furloughed October 1st. And unfortunately this was my last working flight before that day comes.</s>MUNTEAN(voice over): Airline say they will recall Ross and the roughly 50,000 workers that cut last week but only if they get $25 billion in a new stimulus bill. New tweets from President Trump have thrown a deal into disarray. It's the latest breakdown in talks with House Democrats that airlines call disheartening.</s>ROSS: People see numbers on TV but we are real people that are really struggling right now.</s>MUNTEAN(voice over): Ross said she's living on savings from her last few months on the job. Just furloughed workers say new federal help is their best hope, 8,000 flight attendants at American Airlines alone are now looking for jobs.</s>ALLIE MALIS, FURLOUGHED AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANT: It's been a roller coaster. We've been high, we've been low, we've been on this verge of making this happen for so long and then for it to all just fall apart.</s>MUNTEAN(voice over): In a new letter, airline unions are urging Congress to pass a standalone stimulus for airlines. President Trump tweeted his support but House leaders stress the bill failed in the Senate. Airline unions say lawmakers must end the stimulus standoff with workers caught in the middle.</s>SARA NELSON, PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: These are people who have been on the frontlines since the beginning of this virus. Hiding is cruel and it's got to be reversed.</s>CROWD: Save our job. Save our job.</s>MUNTEAN: There could be more furloughs if Congress does not act. Delta says it will furlough 1,700 pilots starting November 1st, Southwest says its employees could face pay cuts without federal help. Pete Muntean, CNN Reagan National Airport.</s>ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Now, just about every industry has been impacted by this pandemic, you know that. But especially the entertainment industry as movie filming has largely ceased since the pandemic started. Now, that leaves people like freelance makeup artists, Cheryl Esposito, wondering how she will pay her bill. She wrote an opinion piece for cnn.com criticizing President Trump for how he's handled the stimulus negotiations. I want to read a little bit to you. She wrote, "We are in the month of October and I'm still figuring out how to pay for the second half of June's rent. Trump's actions - and inactions - are a blatant attack on the American people. I'm angry, tired and grieving." Well, Cheryl joins me now from Brooklyn, New York. Cheryl, Hi. Good to see you. That was a very powerful piece you wrote on cnn.com. You're angry, you're tired, you're grieving and you also say that you don't know how Donald Trump can sleep at night, why?</s>CHERYL ESPOSITO, NY BASED FREELANCE MAKEUP ARTIST: Because here we are, we're in this pandemic. The man does not believe in science. He's calling it a hoax. Meanwhile, my career that I love is gone. I have friends that have died, friends that have lost their - people that have lost their children, their brothers, their husbands, some they didn't even get to say goodbye. And the game, it's really just a big head trip and it feels like it's nothing but a game. We're living his reality show and he acts like a spoiled child. And I think he did this flip flop with the whole stimulus thing the other day because of the embarrassment he made of himself and so now we have to pay for it and especially ...</s>CURNOW: Well, how are you paying for it? Because there is the broader political ecosystem, we're weeks away from the election. Certainly people are making political choices based on a health crisis, but then they also have a very direct economic and financial crisis that people like you are having to go through. How have you managed with being a freelance makeup artist who hasn't been able to do makeup?</s>ESPOSITO: So the first thing I did when I started losing my jobs, I let my landlord know what was going on and I said to her, I said as soon as I get things set up, unemployment and the stimulus check comes in, I said I will pay the rent. That was back in March. My stimulus check didn't come in for three months and as you know, the DOL, I believe nationwide crashed and along with it my account crashed, so that was another three months. So basically I was fortunate enough that my last couple paychecks were fairly big ones and then I had a tiny bit of money trickling in and that was it. I didn't pay my rent. I didn't pay any of my bills for about three months.</s>CURNOW: How optimistic are you that things will get back to normal once there's a vaccine or perhaps if there's a new president across the industry especially for freelancers, where you are in New York?</s>ESPOSITO: For freelancers, I mean, I work in film and television and production has started up slowly. However, there's still about 90 percent of us that are not working. At this point, there is not enough work for myself and my colleagues to go back to work. Some days I'm really optimistic, some days I'm not and as soon as we hope that a new administration takes over there, there's so much damage done from this current administration that is going to have to be fixed. I just feel like there's just so many mountains for them to climb back up and repair once they get there. I'm really trying to stay positive and it's like every time I think that one little click has gone in my direction, it's quickly gone.</s>CURNOW: Tough times. Thank you for sharing your story. Good luck. And yes, I think that's the one thing we all have each other and we need to stay positive. Cheryl, thank you. Good luck.</s>ESPOSITO: Thank you.</s>CURNOW: Just a head on CNN NEWSROOM, it wasn't expected to be closed, why Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is fighting for his political life in South Carolina. That story next.

Lindsey Graham Goes from Trump Critic to Trump Defender

CURNOW: Outrage is growing at the University of Notre Dame. The campus university community is furious that the school's president tested positive for coronavirus after ignoring the rules they have to follow. As Omar Jimenez reports now, it all started in the White House Rose Garden.</s>OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT(voice-over): For college campuses in 2020, coronavirus protocol is a delicate balance. And the university of Notre Dame is no different, requiring masks, avoiding crowds, social distancing, which is why these images of their president cut so deeply. Father John Jenkins at a White House Rose Garden event for Supreme Court Justice nominee and Notre Dame alum, Amy Coney Barrett, without a mask, shaking hands, and ignoring distancing protocols.</s>ASHTON WEBER, JUNIOR, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME: A few days before that happened we had gotten an email from him detailing the protocol that we're supposed to follow and he said this is what everyone needs to do to make sure that we're still here on campus together. So to see him breaking his own rules made us feel like we were disrespected as a student body.</s>JIMENEZ(voice over): Jenkins released a statement shortly after, reading, in part, "I failed to lead by example at a time when I've asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so." But the damage was done. Weber helped organize a petition pushing for Father Jenkins to resign. The student newspaper published an editorial headlined, "Frankly, this is embarrassing." Then Father Jenkins became one of the many who attended that Rose Garden event to test positive for COVID-19.</s>MAKIRA WALTON, JUNIOR, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME: I felt vindicated. I was like, I was correct. You did the wrong thing and the consequences of your actions that we kind of predicted came true. And that's horrible. I never want to feel vindicated about somebody getting sick with a potentially deadly disease.</s>JIMENEZ(voice over): In the wake of his diagnosis, the faculty senate debated going forward with a vote of no confidence in their president. They narrowly decided to postpone further action. The president's office declined to comment. In general, the stakes for maintaining COVID protocol at colleges and universities are as high as nearly any aspect of life. When Notre Dame students began returning to campus, they had to quickly move to all virtual classes after the school said that more than a hundred students tested positive in a little more than two weeks.</s>WEBER: It was really scary. A lot of people started to realize the severity of having a spike in 147 cases after being just two weeks back on campus.</s>JIMENEZ(voice over): Other schools saw similar outbreaks, with the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and North Carolina, Chapel Hill, both among those also having to move to online learning at points to save their semester as they have each now seen coronavirus cases top a thousand total. And at Notre Dame, their president's diagnosis is just the latest reminder of that high-stakes bounce.</s>WALTON: I think a lot more people are taking this seriously because people got sick. I think if there hadn't been as big of an outbreak, if he hadn't gotten sick, people kind of just shrug if off because they could.</s>JIMENEZ: Now, campus-wide, the university has been able to get their coronavirus positivity rate to under 1 percent. As for Father Jenkins, university officials say that he's been experiencing mild symptoms and has continued to work remotely throughout his recovery. Omar Jimenez, CNN, South Bend, Indiana.</s>CURNOW: So to politics now, a comment made by prominent Senate Republican Lindsey Graham Friday night is certainly raising some eyebrows. At one point during a televised interview, Graham was asked about the civil unrest sparked by the police killing of George Floyd earlier on this year. Graham said he did not believe there is systematic racism within the police. And then he went on to say this, "If you're a young African-American or an immigrant, you can go anywhere in the state, you just need to be conservative, not liberal." Graham with three-term incumbent is facing a strong challenge by his Democratic rival. And as Manu Raju now tells us, Graham has changed his tune with regard to President Trump apparently in an effort to win his tough race ahead.</s>MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT(voice over): He's gone from outspoken Trump critic to a staunch Trump defender.</s>SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Thank you for being the best Commander- in-Chief.</s>RAJU(voice over): And now Lindsey Graham is battling to keep his Senate seat in South Carolina and trying to convince voters he should be rewarded for his loyalty to the President.</s>GRAHAM: Here's what I want to tell all the liberals talking about South Carolina. We're going to kick your ass.</s>RAJU(voice over): Despite attacking Trump five years ago ...</s>GRAHAM: He's a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.</s>RAJU(voice over): ... he now says this.</s>GRAHAM: I think it's that we're a team.</s>RAJU(voice over): And Graham is betting that it his vigorous defense of Trump's Supreme Court nominees and push to confirm his choice of Amy Coney Barrett by month's end will win over voters in this conservative state, despite what he said in the past.</s>GRAHAM: I have been helping Trump, and I apparently pissed every level of country off, but we will be fine.</s>RAJU(voice over): But Graham is being swamped by a deluge of attack ads painting him as a craven politician, suddenly making him among the most endangered Republicans. Democrat Jaime Harrison, a former congressional aide, state party chair and lobbyist, is raising a staggering amount of money and bombarding the airwaves with ads like this one.</s>JAIME HARRISON (D), SOUTH CAROLINA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: One of the reasons our political system is broken is politicians who've been in Washington so long.</s>RAJU(voice over): Harrison has already spent $40 million in advertising, compared to roughly $14 million by Graham. Harrison has let his ads do the talking, doing little public campaigning, and speaking sparingly to the media.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have been blitzing us with ads back to back.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have been seeing a lot of Jaime Harrison ads.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't them much more than just ad and on the internet.</s>RAJU(voice over): As a father of two young sons and pre-diabetic, Harrison has been cautious in the age of coronavirus, even insisting a large plexiglass be placed beside him during Saturday's debate. Harrison's campaign says his schedule has been packed, but his aides would not provide a list of his virtual events, despite many requests by CNN.</s>RAJU: Mr. Harrison, hi. Manu Raju at CNN. Do you have a quick minute to talk before the debate?</s>HARRISON: No. I have to focus on the debate.</s>RAJU: Yes, we have been trying to talk to you for this, your campaign hasn't been responding to our questions. Mr. Harrison, do you have a quick second to talk about the debate, how it end? Sir, any questions from CNN. Will you take them?</s>RAJU(voice over): At the debate, Harrison attacked Graham over his repeated promises in 2016 and 2018 not to advance a Supreme Court pick in a presidential election year.</s>GRAHAM: You could use my words against me.</s>HARRISON: You took an oath to serve and that's what you have done. Now just be a man of it and stand up and say, you know what, I changed my mind.</s>RAJU(voice over): Graham was unapologetic about his reversal.</s>GRAHAM: Amy Barrett will be a buffer to liberalism. If you want conservative judges, I'm your only bet in this race.</s>RAJU(voice over): Yet, it's that kind of shift that may cost Graham this voter in Myrtle Beach.</s>DOUG ORTH, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: Kind of liked him until he flip- flopped on the Supreme Court thing. And that kind of turned me off.</s>RAJU(voice over): But Graham thinks most voters will ultimately reward him in his quest to keep the court and the Senate conservative.</s>RAJU: Do you worry that voters may have lost trust in you?</s>GRAHAM: No, not at all. I think people can trust me to be fair.</s>CURNOW: So that was CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju reporting there. Thanks to mana for that. Now, the United States isn't the only nation about to hold a national election. New Zealand will also be going to the polls and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is hoping her popularity carries her into another term. Here's Ivan Watson with that story.</s>IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT(voice over): Cheers loyalty for Jacinda Ardern at her high school alma mater. New Zealand's 40-year-old Prime Minister has led her country through three once in a generation crises.</s>JACINDA ARDERN, NEW ZEALAND PRIMIE MINISTER: We've had a terrorist attack, a natural disaster and a global pandemic. But in those tough times, we have seen the best of us.</s>WATSON(voice over): Now an election looms and Ardern is running on her COVID-19 record.</s>ARDERN: We're just having a bit of an earthquake here, Ryan.</s>WATSON(voice over): A virus that killed over 1 million people around the world only claimed the lives of 25 New Zealanders and after shutting down early, New Zealand is now almost completely back to normal. But a double digit hit to GDP and the question of how to pay for the recovery has given Arden's election opponent an opportunity.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all borrowed money and (inaudible) ...</s>ARDERN: (Inaudible) ...</s>WATSON(voice over): National Party leader Judith Collins says she would be a better steward of the economy. And people are listening, including in the town where the Prime Minister grew up.</s>LLOYD DOWNING, MORRINSVILLE, NEW ZEALAND RESIDENT: Well, I guess we'd have to be proud of her. I mean, she's pretty special person and she's very popular overseas. But here in a party, we could probably wrap up and seen her over there.</s>WATSON(voice over): The ruling Labour Party won't be banking on many votes from the nearly 8,000 people here in Morrinsville. This is a safe conservative seat. Many here say new environmental controls are too tough on farmers and that ardern is loose with the country's purse strings.</s>CLEM APTED, MORRINSVILLE, NEW ZEALAND RESIDENT: The spending is just too much. It's going to send the country broke.</s>WATSON(voice over): But others here who knew the young Jacinda say they understand what drives her.</s>JOHN INGER, MORRINSVILLE, COLLEGE PRINCIPAL: I think she's always had this beef (ph) that that she needs to try to help people who have a tough life to have a better life and I think we've seen that in her politics today.</s>WATSON(voice over): Not many countries are led by a relatively young woman from a modest background, but whoever wins this election, New Zealand's next prime minister will be a woman.</s>JENNY SHIPLEY, FORMER NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER: This is globally extremely rare. But I don't think New Zealand has viewed it as rare any longer.</s>WATSON(voice over): Jenny Shipley was New Zealand's first female prime minister.</s>SHIPLEY: The public want to see New Zealand. They want to see who we are reflected in their leaders and I think we've achieved that.</s>WATSON(voice over): Polls have Ardern in the lead, enjoying public confidence earned over a tumultuous time in office. Ivan Watson, CNN.</s>CURNOW: Ahead on CNN, people along the U.S. Gulf Coast are picking up the pieces from yet another devastating storm. We'll bring you the latest on the damage from Hurricane Delta.

Storm Brings Heavy Rain, Floods, Tornadoes to Southeast US.

CURNOW: Destruction and devastation, these images out of the U.S. State of Louisiana after Hurricane Delta made landfall on Friday night. It's now categorized as a post tropical cyclone. At its worst the storm knocked out power to a quarter of the state's residents, it downed power lines, trees and homes. Fortunately, though, no fatalities have been reported. But heavy rains and flooding were a big, big problem, as you can see from these images. Delta dropped more than a foot of rain on Louisiana. The storm also impacted other U.S. states along the Gulf Coast, leaving millions under flash flood watches. Thousands of National Guardsmen are in Louisiana helping emergency crews. Residents of the State are reeling from these back-to-back storms. As Martin Savidge now report from Lake Charles. Martin.</s>MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It turns out that Hurricane Delta was not the destructive killer that had been feared. Still, the Governor of Louisiana John Bel Edwards says that it had a greater impact on the western part of Louisiana than they had expected, primarily on the issue of knocking out power. In fact, more people lost power during Hurricane Delta than they did during the much more powerful Hurricane Laura six weeks ago. In fact, the Governor says at the height of the outages during Delta, 25 percent of all electricity customers in the state lost power. The good news is, it's not expected to take weeks to restore. The other good news, so far no deaths have been attributed to the storm, although I'll underline so far. The awful irony here in Lake Charles is this community was so devastated by Hurricane Laura at the end of August. It's really hard to tell where the damage of one hurricane ends and the destruction of the next storm begins. But we do know there is additional damage here, you know that by the blue tarps, which were an indication of the families and homeowners starting to make the very basic repairs. Now you will find blue tarps torn, shredded, ripped and strewn all over Lake Charles, which means that homes have been damaged again and the homeowners and the people who live in them will have to start all over again, which there are signs they're already doing, relying on the help of their friends and neighbors in their community again. Martin Savidge, CNN, Lake Charles, Louisiana.</s>CURNOW: And if you're looking for ways to help the victims of Hurricane Delta, the Impact Your World team can show you how. So take a look at this, go to cnn.com/impact. We will continue updating your Impact Your World page as more information becomes available. So thanks for watching. I'm Robyn Curnow. Another hour of CNN starts right after the break. See you then.

How The Trump Propaganda Machine Operates; Town Hall Debate To Be Replaced By Dueling Town Halls

STELTER: President Trump and his propaganda machine are touting his strength as he recovers from COVID-19. He just told one of his biggest fans, Maria Bartiromo, that he is feeling great, he says he feels fantastic, he says he is immune. He makes it sound like getting COVID-19 was a good thing. Here's a clip.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The president is in very good shape to fight the battle.</s>STELTER: He says he is ready to fight the battle. That's what he says. See, by doing these interviews, the president is seeming like he is accessible. He's acting like he is accessible. He can say he does a lot more interviews than Joe Biden does. On Thursday and Friday, he appeared on three different Fox News shows. He also called in to Rush Limbaugh's radio show for a two-hour rant session and called into Mark Levin's radio show as well. That totals nearly four hours of presidential talk time. Perhaps it's good for his lungs. And it was reassuring to hear the president speaking at length, seeming to be on the mend from his COVID battle. He did also, as I mention, just called back into Maria Bartiromo's show on Fox today and then, of course, what happens is on Fox and on these propaganda shows they then repeat everything the president is saying. So, it's an echo back and forth that happens. They can recycle misinformation about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and discredit mail-in voting, all these topics he ranted on Twitter about as well in the past week. This propaganda machine tells a deep story. The president and the propaganda machine together tell a deep story. This is a concept in Arlie Russell Hochschild's book, "Strangers in Their Own Land". She talks about how Tea Party supporters in Louisiana embraced a deep story about the president and about Republican politics, and we can see a deep story now forming about the president and COVID where he battled COVID, he succeeded, he is victorious, and thus, the nation is victorious. This is straight-up propaganda, but it's a deep emotional story that is being sold to the nation. Most people don't buy it, but some people do. So, let's talk about it with CNN's senior media reporter Oliver Darcy and Texas A&M communications professor, Jennifer Mercieca. She's the author of "Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump". So let's start with that rhetorical genius, Jen. When I say deep story, how does that resonate with you? What deep story do you see the president telling?</s>JENNIFER MERCIECA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY: Yeah, absolutely. One of the things that Donald Trump ran on in 2016 was American exceptionalism. And most presidents and presidential candidates use American exceptionalism, and when they do that they really are talking about America's obligations to the rest of the world. But when Trump talks about American exceptionalism, he really means winning. And he considers himself to be the apotheosis or the greatest example of America winning. When he tells his story, he says, I was born on Flag Day, right? That kind of makes him like America himself. And so, what you are seeing here is Trump trying to perform American exceptionalism, to try to perform America winning because it's a zero- sum game. Either you are winning or you're losing, and he doesn't want to be losing.</s>STELTER: So his body is healing, so the country is healing. He is strong, so the country is strong. Are there historical examples of that in a democracy, or is this really just an authoritarian technique?</s>MERCIECA: It's typically used in authoritarian regimes, that's true. Like I said, American presidents have used American exceptionalism but they use it in a different way and usually don't refer to their own person. Usually it's about American values and how American values are going to see us through hard times. It's not about winning or losing, which is how Trump always frames it.</s>STELTER: And Fox News is helping with this through these interviews. For example, Dr. Marc Siegel, one of the network's medical analysts, taped an interview on Friday with President Trump. And it was presented lake presented like a medical visit, Oliver. Why was this so strange to you?</s>OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: Well, it sounded like something when I was watching it that you would see an authoritarian do in a state-run television network, you know, out in some other country, not in the United States. You know, Dr. Marc Siegel didn't ask in I tough follow-ups. There were softball questions. And, it frankly stood in contrast to what he asked in the past. In 2016 when Hillary Clinton fainted at that event, he wanted her brain scans. But in this interview with President Trump, he didn't show any interest really in asking for that kind of information. And I think this goes to a larger point, one that you are making, is that Fox is producing propaganda. You know, there is a difference between honest opinion, holding the same standards for politicians on different sides of the aisle, but coming at the news with a world view. I don't think anyone has a problem with that, but that's not what Fox is doing. They have totally different standards for Democrats and Republicans, and they produce propaganda on behalf of this White House. I think we should be clear eyed in saying that.</s>STELTER: The counter from Fox is, they asked Joe Biden to come on, they asked for interviews with Biden and Biden turns them down. So, when the president calls in, of course they say yes. Let's go back a few days, to the president at Walter Reed, and the photos released by the White House, the videos that were released after the president returned to the White House because, Jen, I know you talked about this in your class with your students. You talked about this kind of approach here. He is signing what appear to be blank documents. What was the impact of these propagandist I can propagandistic photos and videos?</s>MERCIECA: Yeah, my students actually brought it up. In my propaganda class, I always invite them to share, you know, what they've noticed in terms of propaganda in the news, and this was what they brought up. You know, they really saw them as staged. They really saw it as the illusion rather than the actuality. And I think that's very common with Trump. He doesn't care so much about how things really are. He is really interested in how things appear it be one of the things that I noticed about him is that he has a very interesting and sort of distorted version of what it means to perform the presidency. So the video of him, you know, that seemed like a movie trailer when he came back from the hospital, that to me wasn't presidential. It wasn't presidential in any way. But that's what he thinks it is, to be presidential.</s>STELTER: Hmm, that balcony shot, you know, on Saturday, I think we're going to see more of that as the head -- the president of the -- the founder of the "Politico" said, nothing really ends well with a balcony shot. Oliver, let's turn to the debates, the debate about the debates, the president not wanting to have a virtual debate, to Joe Biden said, OK, I will have a town hall on ABC instead. What do you know about what's going to happen this Thursday? It looks like there will be dueling town halls. Biden will be on ABC. Where is Trump going to be?</s>DARCY: Trump might be on NBC. My understanding is that NBC town hall is contingent on the president testing negative for the coronavirus for safety reasons and we haven't seen that from the White House yet. So maybe that's why it hasn't been announced. I am also hearing that if this does go forward, which I think it will, Savannah Guthrie is being talked about as a possible moderator for this event. But, Brian, we should point out how stunning this is, that the president backed out of that last debate, virtual debate. He is going to maybe get, let's say, 10 million people on NBC town hall if he does it. He could have been in front of 60 million people right before the election. And this is something that he needs. He needs to change the state of the race. Biden doesn't really need this. And he gave it up for, you know, I don't understand why. It was a political miscalculation, I think, most people will agree on.</s>STELTER: Let's show the ratings graphic. Seventy-three million viewers for the first debate this year, well over 50 million viewers for the vice presidential debate, that was way up from 2016. People want these debates. And so, it's a failure not to hold the debate on Thursday. I think this idea of dueling town halls, it's a reflection of where the country is, right? You have to watch different channels to see both candidates. But as you said, Oliver, this NBC town hall is likely to happen. It will be simulcast on MSNBC, and CBS, and Telemundo. So, it will queue (ph) up a decent audience, but not nearly as many viewers as the debate would have had. Jennifer, Oliver, thank you both for being here. Make sure you sign up for our nightly newsletter. Oliver and I will be sending out the nightly RELIABLE SOURCES newsletter later today. You can sign up for free at reliablesources.com. Coming up here on the program, the president using his Twitter account to cast doubt about the outcome of the election. So what will social media platforms do when this escalates on November 3rd? We're going to have answers from Twitter's communications chief, Brandon Borrman. He joins me next.

What D.C. Insiders Are Saying About The Polls

STELTER: Another day, another national poll showing Joe Biden with a double-digit lead over President Trump. Today, it's a poll by ABC in the Washington Post. CNN's recent poll had Biden up by even more. Head to head matchups have been showing Biden beating Trump all year long. Look at the breakdown of CNN national polling since April, right. It's been a crazy year and yet this looks like a really saying quiet time, just gentle waves lapping up and down Biden always ahead of Trump. And yet, there are still so many people so nervous about this election, and nervous to believe the polls. I'm seeing it all over the place from MSNBC to Fox.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even if the polls are off, Biden is still very much clearly ahead.</s>CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: I don't trust it.</s>JESSE WATTERS, HOST, FOX NEWS CHANNEL: The President is doing much better than the polls are saying. These are suppression polls.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm personally still scarred from 2016, the poll numbers. Do you believe the polls right now?</s>STELTER: What about you? Do you believe the polls should you trust the national and state polls? Let's ask Ryan Lizza, Politico's Chief Washington Correspondent and a CNN Senior Political Analyst, and a first time guest on the program, Clare Malone, Senior Political Writer for FiveThirtyEight. Clare, these polls point to a potential Biden landslide. Should people believe these polls that have Biden up 10, 12, 16 points?</s>CLARE MALONE, SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER, FIVETHIRTYEIGHT: So the short answer is yes, I think you can trust the polls. And yes, the national polls show them up by quite a bit. So, I think there is, you know, in some of those clips you were playing, people do have this emotional reticence to accept polls because of that 2016 hangover. My caveat is, you should also keep a close eye on state polls, especially key swing state polls. So Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Biden is still up in those states, but by fewer points, by seven or eight points, which is still quite a lot. And he's up by like an average of four in Florida. So, trust the polls, but also look at the state polls to kind of balance a little bit. But either way you spin it, Biden is doing very well.</s>STELTER: Right. They're -- all this -- all this data, it's all pointing in the same direction. It's all consistent. And yet, Ryan, every stakeholder has an incentive not to talk about it that way, right? Democrats want people to vote, the Republicans want people to think that Trump is going to surge, and the media wants people to keep watching, is that right?</s>RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That's right. Well, you know, we have an interest in a horse race, I suppose. But look, in 2016, we in the media probably did not prepare the public for the slim chance of a Trump victory, right? As Claire knows, I think FiveThirtyEight and other sites gave Trump a one in three or one four chance of winning. And you know, that's a that's not so bad, considering it's the presidency. And I think people were so burned by getting it so wrong, because the overwhelming majority of people who cover politics really did believe and predict a Hillary victory. So, there's quite a bit of shock. And so you know, it's like people are always fighting the last war, always readjusting, and now there is this reticence to predict or believe the story that the data has been pointing to as your graphic showed all year. And I think about two weeks ago I started hearing especially from Republicans, you know, a sense of this thing is over he has collapsed among especially seniors, and the numbers since the last debates have been, you know, particularly bad. A lot of the Pennsylvania numbers, probably the most important state, looking really bad. And just, you know, people don't want to say it out loud, because we don't want to happen -- we don't want a repeat of what happened in 2016. I noticed even the Trump campaign, one of the data people from the Trump campaign today is tweeting out some state polls that show some similarities in the numbers from 2016 and 2020. So, they're starting to push back against this a little bit and starting to say, oh, this is just going to be a repeat. And look, I think the responsibility in the media is to prepare the public for the range of outcomes.</s>STELTER: Yes, there are ranges, right.</s>LIZZA: A narrow Trump win to an absolute Democratic Biden landslide, and point out that the most --</s>STELTER: Right.</s>LIZZA: Right. And point out that's the -- you know, that is the range. And we didn't do a great job of pointing out the range in 2016. But while also letting it be clear that the data is pointing more in the direction of the Biden victory than the narrow Trump win.</s>STELTER: So, Claire, finally, is this really all about emotions? It's less about the information and more about people's emotions that are wrapped up in these polls.</s>MALONE: Yes. I mean, I think we -- so data scares people, right. Probability scare people. And I think one of the things that we've been trying to do with the way that we forecast the election is be a lot more accessible to people about how they process those numbers. So, instead of saying, we say Trump has an 86 in 100 chance of losing the election, or Biden has an 86 and 100 chance of winning the election, because that's easier to grasp. We want to make people understand probabilities, which I do actually think is not an intuitive thing for everyone. And we want to make sure that we're balancing people's emotional reactions with smart data journalism, teaching people how to use the data, think about the data. In some ways, I think, attention to the polls in 2016 was the best learning tool for America or the media that's made us smart</s>STELTER: Clare and Ryan, thank you both. Let me show you one more poll. This is the most interesting poll that I've seen recently. In 2016, on the question of trust, Trump had the advantage over Hillary Clinton, but now it's a blowout. People think Biden is so much more trustworthy than Trump. And I wonder how much that's going to matter in a few weeks. After the break here, Dan Rather and Tom Friedman are back. Stay with us.

The Mass Trauma Of COVID-19; Texan Thought Coronavirus Was An Overblown Media Hoax Until He Got Infected.

STELTER: COVID-19 is a mass trauma in the United States and around the world. I know there are so many stories going on, but look to the front pages across the country for a reminder of this mass trauma. Let's look first at Alaska there's a new outbreak being covered by the local paper there in Fairbanks COVID spreading in Alaska. We head to Colorado, front page this morning in Loveland about deaths in the state. Papers across Iowa are coming together today to profile loved ones who have been lost. Nine papers creating a special feature called Iowa mourns. And other news outlets are covering the ongoing economic catastrophe. It is what it is. Back with me are the legends Dan Rather and Tom Friedman. Dan, is there anything about this pandemic that unites us? I mentioned the title of your book earlier, What Unites Us. Is there anything about this pandemic that does that?</s>RATHER: I do think what unites us is a determination to defeat the virus. And we know to do that, we need the very best of our science. And you know, it hasn't been that long ago, the Democrats and Republicans in the country as a whole agreed that the United States should maintain its leadership in science. And now here we have an election in which there is an anti-science administration on the ballot. And make no mistake, I think climate change is a very important part of it, because climate change ties into unemployment, our national security, how we deal with future pandemics, and it's on the ballot this time. So, I think one of the things that unite us at the moment is the determinaton to defeat the Coronavirus and to do so by maintaining our leadership in science despite the effort in the national leadership to be anti-science.</s>STELTER: Right, to be anti-science. That's optimistic, but Tom, I'm pretty pessimistic right now. And I wonder where you are on that spectrum when it comes to this test that American democracy is undergoing as we speak.</s>FRIEDMAN: But, Brian, I'm really worried. You know, Brian, everyone comes to journalism, you know, from some pathway and my introduction to journalism was covering a civil war in Lebanon. I saw a country break apart. I saw what happens when people go all the way. I saw what happens when extremists go all the way and moderates just go away. And to think that it can't happen in America, I think is a real illusion. What has distinguished us -- you know, Americans are always slow to rise to war. It's not in our blood. So, World War Two, war in Korea, Cold War, you know, we're always slow to get going. But in the past, we always actually were able to come together to be united to face down the enemy. And what is new here, Brian, and what should really worry us is this time, we have not been able to rise together in this war because we have a president whose entire business model is to destroy truth and trust. Unfortunately, we have social networks were really helping him along.</s>STELTER: They absolutely are. And as much as Twitter talks a big game about the plans they have, the steps they're taking, it's all in in the actions they actually put into effect. And we'll see what Twitter, Facebook, and the rest actually do. Dan and Tom, thank you both for being here today. Before we go, I want to tell you -- share with you the words of Tony Green as told to Eli Saslow of the Washington Post. Tony's quote of talking about COVID, saying, "When President Trump got sick, I had this moment of deja vu back to when I first woke up in the hospital. I know what it's like to be humiliated by this virus. I used to call it the scam-demic. I thought it was an overblown media hoax." But of course, Tony was sick, as were so many members of his family. He goes on to tell Eli "There's no relief. This virus, I can't escape it. It's torn up our family. It's all over my Facebook. It's the election, it's Trump, it's what I keep thinking about. How many people would have gotten sick if I'd never had a party that weekend? One, maybe two, the grief comes in waves, but that guilt just sits." There's that word hoax again. He says, he thought it was a hoax, until it happened to his family. Now, there's continuing new studies showing the impact of that rhetoric. Pew is out with new data showing that Republicans are paying less attention to the virus. But this virus is not partisan. I want to thank all of you who have purchased copies of my book Hoax, who have checked it out so far. It is on sale or wherever books are sold, e-books and audiobooks as well. If you want a signed bookplate for your printed edition of Hoax, e-mail me, BStelter@gmail.com. The first 100 people to e-mail me, I'll put a signed bookplate in the mail in time. Well, I guess for the election, right? Thanks for joining us on this week's program. We will see you back here this time next week.

Interview With Former Vice President Al Gore; Coronavirus Pandemic

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN ANCHOR: This is GPS, the GLOBAL PUBLIC SQUARE. Welcome to all of you in the United States and around the world. I'm Fareed Zakaria coming to you live from New York.</s>ZAKARIA: Today on the show, the former vice president of the United States, Al Gore. I'll talk to him about many things but among them the lessons from his own presidential contest in 2000. That election, of course, went all the way to the Supreme Court where he lost.</s>AL GORE (D), FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: While I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it.</s>ZAKARIA: Making George W. Bush the nation's 43rd president. Twenty years later, could this election be decided the same way? Also, as the nation's attention has been focused on COVID-19 in the White House, the pandemic has been getting more problematic in many other parts of America and Europe. Just how bad will it get this fall and winter? And a preview of my latest special about the U.S.'s role in the world after four years of Donald Trump. What does the rest of the globe make of America? And most important, can it come back? Don't miss the premiere of "HOW THE WORLD SEES AMERICA" tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.</s>ZAKARIA: But first, here's my take. At this point with over one million COVID-19 deaths worldwide, spikes in various places from America to Argentina, most of us have recognized that this pandemic is not going away tomorrow, that we will be living with it and its aftereffects for quite a while. But that realization can make us very gloomy and for understandable reasons. The world that is being ushered in as a consequence of COVID-19 is new and scary. The crisis has accelerated a number of forces that were already gathering steam. It's revealed to us in the most vivid way possible that human development as it is happening now is creating ever greater risks. The backlash from nature is all around us, from wildfires to hurricanes to pandemics of which COVID-19 may simply be the first in a series. The pandemic has intensified other things, too. For demographic and other reasons, countries will likely see more sluggish economic growth, inequality will get worse as the big get bigger in every sphere, and computers, machine learning is moving so fast that for the first time in history human beings might lose control over their own creations. Nations are becoming more parochial. Their domestic politics more isolationist. The United States and China, the world's two largest economies, are headed toward a bitter and prolonged confrontation. It's a dangerous moment. But it is also in times like these that we can shape and alter such trends. To complete the story of our future, we must add in human agency. People can choose which direction they want to push themselves, their society, and the world. In fact, we have more leeway now. In most eras, history precedes along a set path and change is difficult, but the coronavirus has upended society. People are disoriented. Things are already changing, and in that atmosphere further change becomes easier than ever before. Think about the changes we have already accepted in our own lives in response to the pandemic. We have agreed to isolate ourselves for long stretches. We have worked, attended meetings and had deeply personal conversations by talking to our laptops. We've had classes online and seen doctors and therapists using telemedicine. In a month, companies changed policies that would normally have taken them years to revise. Overnight cities turned avenues into pedestrian walkways and sidewalks into cafes. Attitudes towards people previously ignored or overlooked are shifting as can be seen in the newly adopted phrase, essential workers. Governments have opened up their coffers in ways that were once unimaginable and could lead to much greater willingness to invest in the future. Now these changes could be momentary blips or the start of something new. We could, after the pandemic, continue with business as usual and risk cascading crises from climate change, new pandemics, deepening inequality, or we could get serious about a more sustainable strategy for the future. Put a price on carbon, build a 21st century infrastructure, train workers, expand the safety net. We could turn inward and embrace nationalism and self-interest, or we could view these challenges, which are not confined by borders as a spur to more global cooperation and action. We have many futures in front of us. We could choose to take one of them. In the sweeping historical drama "Lawrence of Arabia," the young British diplomat adventurer T. E. Lawrence, played unforgettably by Peter O'Toole, leads a band of Bedouin warriors across the desert to mount a surprise attack against the Ottoman empire. They cross through the blistering heat, braving swirling sandstorms. At one point they discover that one of the soldiers Gasim has fallen off his camel. Lawrence instantly decides that he must turn around and find the lost man. Sherif Ali, the chief Arab leader, objects.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you go back, you'll kill yourself is all. Gasim you have killed already.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of my way.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gasim's time has come, Lawrence. It is written.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing is written.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go back then.</s>ZAKARIA: He searches amidst the sand and cyclones and finds Gasim, staggering about, half dead. Lawrence brings him back to the camp to a hero's welcome. Sherif Ali offers him water.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing is written.</s>ZAKARIA: Lawrence was right. Nothing is written. We get to make our own future. I have drawn this commentary from my new book "Ten Lessons for a Post- Pandemic World" which is excerpted this week in "The Washington Post." You can go to CNN.com/fareed to buy my book which I hope you will. And let's get started. I want to get right to my discussion with Al Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States, and almost the 43rd president of the United States. Welcome, Mr. Vice President.</s>GORE: Thank you for having me, Fareed.</s>ZAKARIA: Let me first ask you, you know Joe Biden well. You served in the Senate with him. You campaigned with him for the presidency when you were both primary contenders in 1988. Is the man you see on the campaign trail, is the man you heard in the debate, is he the same? How would you characterize Joe Biden today?</s>GORE: Well, I think that the American people saw during the first presidential debate that he is older and wiser. I thought that he trounced President Trump in that debate or maybe you could say President Trump trounced himself. I know my view is partisan, but I think that was the nearly universal conclusion. He has put together an outstanding campaign. He is in command of the issues. He has a lifetime of valuable experience, and a predilection for reaching across the aisle to try not to give up on the principle, but to try to work out bipartisan solutions, and there is always a struggle about whether that's the right approach. But, boy, in this year of 2020 and in the next presidential term, that it seems to me is a skill and a predilection that will serve this country well if he is elected, as I hope he will be.</s>ZAKARIA: You know that there are people in the Democratic Party who worry about that predilection that you mentioned, who think that, for example, it means that, you know, he will not be sufficiently committed to things like climate change, that he will give in to Republicans, and, you know, there are people in the Democratic Party who worry that the enthusiasts, the activists on the left will not come out because they are not sufficiently enthusiastic as somebody they see as more of a centrist. What would you say to them?</s>GORE: Well, first of all, if you look at his climate proposals and his economic plan, it is by far the most expansive and responsible climate legislation or proposal that we have ever seen in a presidential campaign. He actually puts it at the centerpiece of his economic plan, as he should, because it's a huge job creating engine. You know, the last five years solar installer jobs have grown five times faster than average job growth in the economy. The fastest growing job right now is wind turbine technician. The Oxford Review of Economic Policy with Joe Stiglitz and Nick Stern and others recently found that a dollar spent on renewables and the transition to a sustainable economy creates three times more jobs than a dollar spent in any other way. So it is exactly the prescription that we need, and his proposal to completely decarbonize the electricity grid by 2035 is an outstanding proposal. And to be carbon neutral by 2050. He is serious about this. There are a few things on which I would like to see him go further, but I don't think you're going to see and you're not seeing now any diminished enthusiasm on the part of those who share the views I feel so strongly on climate. Bernie Sanders and AOC and others are making note of things they would like to push harder for after the election. Again, if Joe Biden wins. But they are very clear in saying priority one is to win this election. Then we'll have debates on the margins of what more we could do after the election. But what he's already proposed is truly outstanding.</s>ZAKARIA: What do you -- what are your worries about what could happen after November 3rd? If there is a certain amount of mess around the mail-in ballots, you have seen this movie before. Tell us what -- you know, what did you learn from that process in terms of challenges, court contestation. How messy could it get?</s>GORE: Well, number one, the American people and our Constitution must be respected. Anyone who refuses to rule out unleashing violence if he doesn't win the election is really launching a grave and contemptuous insult to the Constitution and to the American people. You know, there is a story in my faith tradition, and all the Abrahamic traditions, including Sunni Muslimism, Islam at least, about Solomon as a judge who had to decide which of two women claiming a baby, you know, was the real mother and he, in the parable, which appears in other civilizations, he said, OK, I'm going to cut the baby in half and give half to each of you. And the woman who said, no, no, no, give it to her, and he immediately awarded the baby to its true mother. The parable applies here. If one of these candidates is threatening to tear the country apart if he does not win the vote, then that is instructive as to who the right choice in this presidential election should be. He has expanded the range of possible chicanery and trouble making that we have to prepare for. But I'm certainly among those hoping that the outcome in the election will be decisive. We have to be cautious that because there is an historic percentage of mail-in ballots differentially by seniors who are both more vulnerable to the pandemic and therefore probably more attuned to the outrage many feel about the gross incompetence and recklessness with which President Trump has approached the pandemic, that's why he is trying to discredit the idea of mail-in ballots. But people are not buying it. But what it does mean is that on election night there may be what's called a red mirage that people who vote on the day of the election may be more in Trump's favor and then a blue shift as the mail-in ballots are counted. Again more of them this time than ever before for reasons everybody understands. We have to be patient and let the votes be counted. And when he says we may not know the result on election night, I thought to myself, well, I think that's actually happened before. It was a 36-day delay in 2000. But the American people have a right to be heard. And I hope that they all will be.</s>ZAKARIA: Al, stay with us. Next on GPS, I am going to ask the former vice president about climate change. Can we stop the absolute calamity that might be upon us? Is there time and what happens if there is a Trump second term?

More Than Half Of America's States Reporting Increases In Cases.

ZAKARIA: On Tuesday, Washington, D.C. saw 105 new COVID cases. That is the highest number the city has seen since June. But the White House and the city that surrounds it are far from the only places where the pandemic is a growing problem right now. More than half of America's states are reporting increases in cases. Across the Atlantic, France, Spain, the U.K., the Czech Republic and the Netherlands are among the nations really struggling right now. Is the West in for a particularly deadly winter? Joining me now is Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease, Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Welcome, Professor. Let me begin by asking you, if I may, about what happened with Donald Trump. And I ask this because about three months ago you essentially predicted this would happen. And I'm wondering what was it about the -- the regimen that the White House had set up? You know, they said everyone who is getting to see the president was being tested; everyone in the White House was being tested repeatedly. Why did you think that wouldn't work?</s>MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE, RESEARCH AND POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: Well, first of all, they were not using the right test for the right purpose, meaning that they were using a test that was actually quite insensitive. About -- up to half the individuals who might be actually infected with the virus would actually turn up with a negative test result. And so we said back in July, you know, trying to protect the president with a test that had that kind of performance characteristics was a lot like giving squirt guns to the Secret Service and hoping that they could protect the president against an assassin. It was just a matter of time.</s>ZAKARIA: So what does that tell us about our testing programs nationally or -- I mean, I realize there isn't really a national program -- I mean, the accumulation of the 50 state programs? Because it does seem like, all these months into it, we still don't have some kind of rational comprehensive testing program.</s>OSTERHOLM: Well, we don't. And in fact, I think I would take it one step further and say that, if this is the level at which we're able to protect the president of the United States, what does it say about our national plan or the lack thereof to protect U.S. residents? And, see, this is exactly what we've been talking about for months and months, is we don't have a national plan.</s>ZAKARIA: And right now you are seeing states with fairly sharp increases. Are they doing the right things to bring those -- those numbers down?</s>OSTERHOLM: We're going exactly in the wrong way. We are on a collision course right now with destiny. You know, I had made a prediction a month and a half ago that, following Labor Day, when students came back to colleges and universities, we'd see extensive transmission there which would spill over into the community. Then you combine that with pandemic fatigue, people who are just tired of trying to deal with this virus. You have weddings, funerals, family reunions, any kind of activity where you might have lots of people coming together. And then you have bars and restaurants. And you put that all together, along with now what's going to be an increasing number of people being indoors because of the fall, and you have exactly the worst mix for transmission. You know, I said a month and a half ago, and I'll stick with my numbers here, we are going to far exceed the 67,500 cases we saw a day at the peak in July. We're going to blow right by that. We're already at 57,000 cases reported in one day. And that's up from 32,000 cases just a month ago.</s>ZAKARIA: What about Europe? Because in many of those places, they did seem to be following better practices, and they had better testing programs. But you're seeing a lot of spikes in Europe?</s>OSTERHOLM: Well, you know, they, unfortunately, learned all the bad lessons that we taught them, just as we should have learned from them earlier. When we look back in April, it didn't matter where you were in the world. The world had these areas that were houses on fire. And we all, in a sense, locked down at that time, a terrible term. We were trying to basically keep people apart, distancing. And what we did is we got from 32,000 cases a day in April down to 22,000 cases a day on Memorial Day weekend and decided we were done; we had had enough of this; we were going back into everyday activity. The protests happened. People thought just being together wasn't a problem. And you saw what happened. We shot back up to the 67,500 cases by July. Europe largely continued to stay shut down, and only in August did they really start to release the break. But when they did it, they did it so quickly that then we're seeing what's happening now. And so they're trying to recapture in a sense some of the work that they had done earlier in the year. And it's our hope that they can do that. There's still, in many instances, much, much lower rates than we're seeing here in the United States.</s>ZAKARIA: And what explains the East Asian numbers? Because, even when they have flare-ups, it's from such a low base. I mean, you look at the number of dead -- COVID deaths in Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, and they are just astonishingly low. And they have stayed low -- as I -- even their flare-ups are -- you know, would be considered successes by our standards.</s>OSTERHOLM: Well, you know, they're doing exactly what New York is doing. Basically, they are monitoring it very closely. And when there is a slight increase in cases, they're on top of it immediately. In the United States and, unfortunately, in parts of Europe, have just in a sense said, "Well, you know, we, kind of, are not interested in doing anything about this virus right now, you know, we're done with it." But, unfortunately, the virus wasn't done with us. And so I think the Asian countries are a model of what can be done. And we're not asking people to do this forever. We're asking people to do this until we get vaccines that can then help protect us, as opposed to having to distance only by itself.</s>ZAKARIA: Michael Osterholm, pleasure to have you on.</s>OSTERHOLM: Thank you.</s>ZAKARIA: Next on "GPS," a plot to assault the Michigan state capitol building and kidnap the governor. It may sound like a movie, but according to prosecutors it is real life. Why it may be emblematic of the rise of the far right in America and around the world, when we come back.

Dr. Conley: Trump No Longer A Transmission Risk To Others

JOHN KING, CNN HOST (voice-over): Out of isolation and defiance.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is the single most important election in the history of our country.</s>KING: Plus, the COVID case count is surging.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you relax, this is what happens. This is just merely sloppiness.</s>KING: And early voting shatters records. And the challenger thinks big.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: If we show up, we win. We can't just win. We have to win overwhelmingly.</s>KING: Welcome to INSIDE POLITICS. I'm John King. To our viewers in the United States and around the world, thank you for sharing your Sunday. President says he's feeling great, ready to get back on the road after a week in the hospital, and then isolation because of coronavirus.</s>TRUMP: We're starting very, very big with our rallies and everything, because we cannot allow our country to become a socialist nation. We cannot let that happen.</s>KING: Now, the White House called that Saturday speech an official event, but it was all campaign politics. A crowd pulled together by a conservative black Trump ally. The president kept at a distance, though, his doctors insist it is now safe for him to resume public appearances.</s>TRUMP: Through the power of the American -- the American spirit, I think, more than anything else. Science, medicine, will eradicate the China virus. Once and for all, we'll get rid of it all over the world. You see big flare ups in Europe, big flare ups in Canada. A very big flare up in Canada. You saw that today. A lot of flare ups, but it's going to disappear.</s>KING: Notice the president did not specifically mention the flare up right here at home, 30 states now trending in the wrong direction. Nearly 5,000 new American deaths from coronavirus just since the president left the hospital Monday tweeting: Don't be afraid. His rush to get back campaigning is understandable. Joe Biden has a big lead in this race with 23 days left and millions of Americans voting early. Just this weekend, with the president in COVID isolation, the former vice president, the Democratic nominee, campaigning in Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.</s>BIDEN: America deserves a president who understands what people are going through. You're facing real challenges right now and the last thing you need is a president who exacerbates them. I'm running as a proud Democrat but I'm going to govern as an American president. I'm going to work as hard for those who don't support me as those who do.</s>KING: The president's rally scheduled this week includes Florida, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. His doctor hasn't answered a question in a week. But his latest memo does say the president is off medications and cleared to travel.</s>TRUMP: They tested the lungs. They checked for the lungs, and they tested it with different machinery. They have incredible stuff I've never seen before, and it tested -- it tested good. Initially, I think they had some congestion in there, but it tested -- ultimately, it tested good. I have been retested, and I haven't even found out numbers or anything yet, but I've been retested, and I know I'm at either the bottom of the scale or free.</s>KING: The campaign calculations in a moment. First, the health questions. Dr. Rochelle Walensky is chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctor, grateful for your time this Sunday. You just heard the president there talking about the exams his doctors have given him. This is the latest memo from his doctor, Dr. Sean Conley. I'm happy to report that in decision to the president meeting CDC criteria for safe discontinuation of isolation, this morning's he's no longer considered a transmission risk to others. Now at day ten from symptom onset, fever free for well over 24 hours and all symptoms improved, the assortment of advanced diagnostic tests obtained reveal there is no longer evidence of actively replicating virus. Does that answer your questions? Would you be confident now based on everything they've made public and what the president said that he's safe to leave the White House, he's safe to travel, he's safe to get on an airplane in close quarters with others, he's safe to have thousands of people come to a political rally?</s>DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Good morning, John. You know, there's very little medical terminology to decipher what the president has said. What I can tell you from the memo is that, first of all, the CDC does not recommend repeat testing after somebody tests positive. And at that point, it's really a time-based release from isolation. So, you know, I believe he's ten days out from his initial symptoms. If that's case, that puts symptoms Thursday or even Wednesday. And, generally, the CDC guidance says that after ten days and fever free for 24 hours, you are no longer infectious. There are some people who have severe disease who can be infectious to 20 days, but that's even less common. The president did have sub genomic mRNA testing and other tests that really indicate he likely is not infectious. Whether an indoor rally is a good idea, it certainly is not. That doesn't necessarily speak to the president's individual infectiousness but potentially infectiousness of others.</s>KING: And what questions do you have? You mentioned Dr. Conley's memos. Whenever I talk to a doctor about it, they all say that's not the way we speak, that's not the way we describe things. What questions -- what questions do you have and do you think just an American citizen whether they're going to vote for Joe Biden or vote for the president or somebody else? What questions should they have right now?</s>WALENSKY: I would like to know if he had severe disease during his disease course. He would prolong his duration of isolation if he had severe disease. I don't put a lot of weight onto his PCR tests because it could be positive for up to three months. What I would like to know as we know he has waning transmissibility, if not no transmissibility at this point, I really like to know what was going on at the time that he had maximum transmissibility. That is last Thursday, last Wednesday, when he was first developing symptoms, who he was in contact with, when the symptoms developed and what the contact tracing around that has been.</s>KING: It would be nice if the president's doctor would take some questions as the president prepares to travel the country. Again, Dr. Walensky, grateful for your time this morning. Thank you very much. With us now to share their reporting and their insights and the campaign calculations, Jackie Kucinich of "The Daily Beast", Toluse Olorunnipa of "The Washington Post". Toluse, I want to start with you. In your piece yesterday, you talked about the president's defiance, talk about the president determined to get back out on the campaign trail. Again, the political calculation here is obvious. Is the campaign confident that their candidate is now up to this?</s>TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, they're going to take that risk. They're down in the polls and only have three weeks before Election Day and they need to turn things around. So, they're going to risk the health of the campaign and the White House officials by sending the president out there. Even while it's unclear how infectious he might be. And they're not changing their ways. They're not changing the types of rallies they're going to be doing. They're going to continue to have these massive crowds at airport hangars, no social distancing will be encouraged. Masks will not be required. They say they have handwashing stations but we've seen in the past all kinds of bad public health behavior at these Trump rallies. And they're going into these and the president has already announced three rallies over the next two or three days over the course of this week. He's going to be traveling across the country. It's going to be in confined spaces on planes even as the White House continues to deal with this really bad outbreak of coronavirus, they're not changing their ways. They're showing defiance.</s>KING: And to the point about not changing their ways, Jackie Kucinich, the president and his aides said here's a chance sort of to be humble, here's a chance to be more empathetic about this pandemic and its impact on Americans, more than 7.5 million cases, 210,000 plus deaths, we keep counting. Instead, though, the president has continued as he said from the very beginning, the play it down. Listen.</s>TRUMP: Don't let it dominate you. Don't be afraid of it. You're going to beat it. I feel like perfect. So I think this was a blessing from God that I caught it. This was a blessing in disguise. Remember this. When you catch it, you get better and then you're immune.</s>KING: In some ways, Jackie, this plays up a contrast. Listen here to Joe Biden. He thinks this is the best way for him to close the campaign.</s>BIDEN: Hs reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis, the destabilizing effect it's having our government is unconscionable. He didn't take the necessary precautions to protect himself or others. And the longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets. How can we trust him to protect this country?</s>KING: This issue will be front and center in the final 23 days.</s>JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, absolutely. I mean, this election was always going to be about the coronavirus and the administration's response to coronavirus and the effects on the economy. And on Americans themselves as much as the administration tried to make it about other things, we're back to this. And in terms of the president always trying to protect strength, left unsaid, in the videos and in that what can only be described as a shamwow commercial for seniors, is that the president's care, his care and the treatments he had access to are not accessible by the majority of Americans. His health care, most people don't have a team of doctors working on them day today. So, the infection, we don't know the severity of his infection, but there's a good chance if someone else caught the same thing he did, they might not have the same results because of the care that he was able to access.</s>KING: Without a doubt, without a doubt. And if you look at the state of the race, Toluse, right now, Biden's lead versus Clinton's lead in '16, a lot Republicans are saying, well, we're going to have another comeback, just like we did in 2016. Biden's lead has been fairly steady. In national polls it's bigger than Hillary Clinton's lead was. We'll go through battleground state polling later in the states. So, what the president needs a comeback, and we know throughout the pandemic, Dr. Fauci has become a nationally known face on television. I suspect when he sees this new ad from the Trump campaign, he might cringe a bit. Watch.</s>AD ANNOUNCER: President Trump is recovering from the coronavirus, and so is America. Together, we rose to meet the challenge. President Trump tackled the virus head on as leaders should.</s>DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF ALLEGERY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more.</s>KING: Again, Dr. Fauci is regularly repeatedly, just the other day, he said the president held a super spreader event at the White House. Dr. Fauci's view on how the president has handled this and is handling this is a little different than you see on that ad.</s>OLORUNNIPA: Yeah. That quote came from a couple months ago when Dr. Fauci was a public face of the task force. He's been sidelined. The president embraced other doctors who are more in line with his idea of herd mentality of not taking the virus seriously, of opening up everything immediately and not following public health guidelines. So, the president has changed his attack, and now we see he has been infected with the virus himself. He's trying to spin that into a positive, saying that he took the virus head on and he was a strong leader that caught the virus and tackled it and fought it and was able to come out successfully, when a lot of Americans realize, as Jackie said, the president had topnotch health care. He caught the virus in part because of the lax public health guidelines at the White House and it's not clear that he's getting a polling bump at all from the fact he tackled this virus in the words of that ad. Instead his numbers seem to be going down because people think he hasn't taken it seriously enough.</s>KING: Right, his conduct has been reckless and certainly his numbers going down, Jackie. If you talk to Republican strategists and Senate races and competitive house races and other races down ballot, they see this coming. Listen to Ted Cruz and the word he uses.</s>SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): If people are going back to work, if they're optimistic, if they're positive about the future, we could see a fantastic election. But I also think if an Election Day, people are angry and they've given up hope and they're depressed which is what Pelosi and Schumer want them to be, I think it could be a terrible election. I think we could lose the White House and both houses of Congress. That it could be a bloodbath of Watergate proportions.</s>KING: Skip the spin about Pelosi and Schumer. A bloodbath of Watergate proportions. Many Republicans are worried about, again, with three weeks to go.</s>KUCINICH: All you have to do is listen to Mitch McConnell last week who seemed to be creating distance between himself and the White House, talking about how they handled the virus versus how the Senate handled the virus. And listen, a lot of the president's allies have ended up catching this virus, be it at the event for Amy Coney Barrett or somewhere else. So, it really is spreading into the campaign. You do -- you hear someone like a Thom Tillis talking about how he should have taken it more seriously. So, the fact that the majority of the Republican Party kind of went along with the president initially, how he was handling the virus, that seems to be taking a turn as people see how it affects their lives and are looking toward their leaders currently there. Some of them might be saying they don't like what they see.</s>KING: That's a great way to close that conversation. Jackie Kucinich, Toluse Olorunnipa, grateful to both of you on this Sunday morning. Up next for us, we'll crunch the numbers. New COVID-19 on the rise, and because of that, so too are estimates of how many more Americans will die in the weeks and months ahead.

Thirty States See COVID-19 Cases Trending Higher

KING: Just yesterday, the president again saying the coronavirus is disappearing. The numbers tell you just the opposite. It is growing and spreading again, right now across the country. Let's look at our trend map. This is just depressing, 30 states red and orange, just about everywhere 30 states trending in the wrong direction. That means more new coronavirus infections now compared to a week ago. You'll notice essentially the entire northern half of the country where it's getting colder, infections going up. Thirty states trending the wrong direction, 18 holding steady. Only two states, Texas and Hawaii fewer new infections now compared to a week ago. If you look at the case curve, and this is depressing, no other word. Yesterday, more than 54,000 cases. Friday, more than 57,000 cases. Back on September 7th, down to 24 hours cases. Before the summer surge, down below 20,000 cases. Up down some. Now heading back up. Heading back up. You see numbers near 60,000. What the public health experts worry about is if we went from 20 to 77, what happens if your baseline is 40 and you head up. How high do you go? Look at the state setting records. Twelve states setting records in their seven-day average of new coronavirus infections, 12 states setting records. That's not disappearing. And with the new cases, hospitalizations also on the rise in many states. You look here -- Iowa, Montana, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, just four of the states where hospitalizations now going up as well. And sadly, sadly, the death curve continues to be high and the projections will go higher. 990 deaths on Friday. You see it came down some. But with the cases, the public health experts tell you it is inevitable this is going to trickle up. In fact, the IHME model estimates now 394,693 deaths by February 1st, because of the case count, because of behavior. That's an average of 1,500 deaths per day. So, this projection tells you, in IHME's estimate, the death count is going to start going up. Let's discuss it now. Joining me with his expertise, Ali Mokdad of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Mr. Mokdad, thank you so much for being with us. You see this number, and I'm just going to bring up the chart here that shows the trend line in your report, if mandates are eased, if governors say forget about masks, forget about social distancing, you actually say it will get much worse, 502 deaths. This is your baseline right now if behavior stays the same, 394,000 deaths. You say it could drop by about 80,000 deaths if people would universally be using their masks. Walk us through how you get to these conclusions.</s>ALI MOKDAD, PROFESSOR OF HEALTH METRICTS, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON: Good morning, John. Yes, what we are doing right now was projecting what we're seeing based on behavior and what's happening in terms of relaxing the mandate. We're saying 395,000 by February 1st. But if 95 percent of Americans wear their mask when they are outside their homes, we could see that number drop to 214. We're talking about 79,000 lives saved. Or 44 percent of the deaths from now until February 1st. In the first time of our history, we have a no side effects to save a lot of lives and we should do it. If we let everything go, relaxing our mandates, you're talking about 503,000 deaths between now and February 1st.</s>KING: And you mention it so calmly there, it's simple, inexpensive way to save lives, protect yourselves and yet, we have a problem. I just want to use New York as an example right now because we all remember, New York went up the curve early. Way up the hill. It was horrible. Came down and has stayed down. If you look at recent months, you stayed down. If you take the long view, you would look at this and say New York is in good shape. If you look at the last two months, you see New York starts to trickle back up in terms of the cases. That's just New York. You're starting to see this again, the positivity rate is low in New York. If you look at New York, New England, up through the Northeast, we're starting to see this creep back up. Is it inevitable that the whole country is going to start the second wave, or are there ways to stop it?</s>MOKDAD: Unfortunately, it will head up because of the fall and winter season. This virus loves the cold weather and we're moving indoors. So, we have to be extra vigilant. We have seen when you look at the Southern Hemisphere, what we've seen in south Africa and Chile, even with all the measures they put in place, the COVID-19 kept going up because it follows what we see in the seasonality. We can't prevent it but we have to be extra vigilant as we come indoor because we are as humans sometimes we feel safer indoors, especially among our friends. This is a message for all of us. Be vigilant even when we move indoors and stay away from each other, otherwise, yes, it could go much higher.</s>KING: And you mention the unfortunate nature going higher. In your latest report, there's also some discussion about the numbers of so- called herd immunity. Meaning if people decide rip it, you hear the term. Once we all get exposed, everybody will be okay. Your latest report says absolutely not. Walk through some of the numbers, 15 million deaths globally. If the pursuit is herd immunity, 1.2 million deaths in the United States, break those numbers down for us.</s>MOKDAD: So, John, there are so many unfounded rumors out there saying let's go to herd immunity. What we are seeing because we monitor every country in the world in our estimates, we haven't seen it. And you have natural experiments going on, if you look what happened at a French area, 70 percent of the citizens were infected. If you look at sum of the patients in Brazil, who've reached 60 percent and the pandemic was still going on. So, herd immunity to be achieved in the United States means a failure. So, let me explain a little bit more. Right now in the United States, the only state that reached 25 percent infection is New Jersey. Most of our states are very low right now. As a country we're less than 10 percent. If we allow this to happen in the United States and we have done this calculation just to put the information out there and tell the public that's not -- herd immunity is not a reality. So, if you look at 40 percent, that's 10 million global deaths. If you reach 40 percent infection in the globe, 850,000 deaths in the United States. If we go to 60 percent, which we have seen right now in Brazil, as we mentioned, that's 15 million and 1.8 million in the United States. So we really need to wear our masks, stay away from each other, give our scientists a chance to get a vaccine that's effective to reduce the spread of this virus.</s>KING: I like the last part, give scientists -- give science a chance and give scientists a chance, maybe listen to them as well. Ali Mokdad, grateful for your insights on this Sunday morning. Sir, thank you very much. And next for us, back to politics in the battleground states. Florida and Arizona, live to Florida and Arizona. The president's trails three weeks out, including in areas that were absolutely critical to his 2016 victory.

Trump Poised To Hold In-Person Rally In Florida Monday; Biden Crosses 270 For First Time In CNN's Electoral College Outlook; Bipartisan Opposition To Trump's Stimulus Offer; Early Vote Shattering Records.

KING: Three weeks and two days to Election Day, Joe Biden in the driver's seat. A double-digit lead in national polling averages and a lopsided advantage. You see it right here in our CNN electoral outlook. Yes, President Trump can still win reelection but the hill is steeper because he is struggling everywhere. And by struggling everywhere, if you look at this map, we have Joe Biden at 290 electoral votes right now in our outlook. It takes 270 to win. Dark blue solid Biden, light blue lean Biden. Same for the president. The dark red means it's solid Trump. The light red leans Trump. The president's in trouble right now. If he won everyone of the yellow states here, those are the battlegrounds, right plus Maine's second congressional district. If he won them all, he would still be short. So the president needs to come back and come back in places that he won pretty handily in 2016. He must take Florida back without a doubt. See Arizona, we lean it right now for Joe Biden. That's trouble for the president losing in places he won before. Let's just take a look at some of the dynamics right now. If you look at the battleground polling, yes the president came back in 2016. But look at all these battleground polls. Here are just ten from recent days. What do you notice here? Only one has a Trump lead. And that's Georgia plus one which essentially is a tie. They're tied in the states, not just the national polls is Biden's way right now. In part, Biden is protecting his lead because this is a phenomenon in this race. Biden is outstanding the Republican incumbent president on television right now including in the battleground states just since September 1st. Nearly $50 million in Florida for Biden. $31 million for the president. You see the Pennsylvania numbers, North Carolina, Arizona $19 million for the vice president. $9 million, a little over $9 million for President Trump. So as the president tries to come back, one of the dynamics he's been unable to campaign the last week because of coronavirus. Joe Biden is spending more than him in these battleground states. And watch as they travel. A little example here, the former vice president and the vice president yesterday in Florida. Joe Biden targeting the suburbs. Mike Pence trying to get senior citizens to vote Republican.</s>JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: How many more have to go under? How many more dreams have to be extinguished because this president threw in this towel? Instead of focusing on your needs, he's still trying to take care of -- take away your health care.</s>MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because of the cooperation of the American people, the leadership of our president, we're slowing the spread. We're protecting the vulnerable. And we're saving lives. And we're opening up America again.</s>KING: With us to share their reporting and insights this Sunday from the battleground states. Politico Florida correspondent Marc Caputo, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez of "The Arizona Republic". Mark, let me start with you. You had Mike Pence the vice president in The Villages. It is a campaign stop we see in every cycle. Both in state races you see it all the time and in these presidential races. But look at the numbers right now. Biden versus Trump. This is Quinnipiac numbers, among senior citizens. Back in July it was 49-46. The latest poll it was 55-40. What is it in your battleground Florida that has senior citizens, a reliable voting electorate breaking for Biden in the late days?</s>MARC CAPUTO, FLORIDA CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: Well, I'm not sure the Quinnipiac polls are accurate. Let me just get that out there. I don't mean to trash them on --</s>KING: I get it. They tend -- they tend to lean blue. I get you.</s>CAPUTO: They've had some problems. But coronavirus is the short answer to your question. You know, seniors are more likely to die and get hospitalized right now. And we're one of, if not the eldest state in the nation, certainly by the numbers and proportions of people together. So you're seeing is Biden more so than Hillary Clinton and about as much as Barack Obama is taking a good share of the non-Hispanic white vote and the older vote. And if a Democrat gets shares of that, let's say 40 percent of whites, he's probably going to win the state and that's what you're seeing in the polling. But we've seen polling before say that the Democrat's going to win but election day happens and it doesn't happen.</s>KING: And Yvonne, as you look out in Arizona right now, one of the challenges that you see these states, this is my 9th presidential campaign so you always think of them as the last time. But your state is changing so fast, much like Florida. Across the Sun Belt, you're seeing the growing suburbs especially outside of Phoenix. I just want to look at Maricopa County. It's about 60 percent of the vote in the state because it's so big. When you go back to 2000, it was 914,000 votes and President Bush won by ten. If you go to 2008, John McCain of Arizona was on the ballot, and you see the total votes cast just in Maricopa growing to 1.2 million. In 2016 it was 1.5 million. And in 2020 it will likely be a higher number and the revolt in the suburbs against President Trump one of the reasons Arizona is leaning Biden now, right?</s>YVONNE WINGETT SANCHEZ, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, "THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC": That's one of the reasons we do see some of the same effects that you're seeing in Florida with seniors. I mean it looks to be just total cratering among seniors for President Trump. And then you have Joe Biden alongside, you know, Cindy McCain, the late senator's wife vouching for him and talking a lot about his character, particularly with people of faith, members of the Church of Latter Day -- Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I mean these are people who are really voting based on values, based on the president's handling of the coronavirus. And we've got a lot of transplants who brought their own political philosophies with them, oftentimes from liberal states. So both of the candidates are really wrestling for the state's 11 electoral votes. And Joe Biden has consistently led here.</s>KING: You mentioned the Cindy McCain endorsement, number one. And now at a new TV ad. Let's look at a snippet.</s>CINDY MCCAIN, WIFE OF JOHN MCCAIN: In the Senate, they disagreed on almost everything. They'd fight like hell on the floor and then they go eat lunch together because they always put their friendship and their country first. Now more than ever we need a president who will put service before self.</s>KING: It is interesting, including in your state with such a well- known figure Cindy McCain, Joe Biden is closing, even in our polarized politics where you think turnout of your base is so critical, he's closing with a message of unity. I want to be Republicans' president as well as Democrats' president.</s>SANCHEZ: Yes. And he's using this in particular to reach disaffected Republican women voters, Independent women voters, people who maybe voted for Trump in 2016 but are really starting to have second chances -- second thoughts about the president. She's really trying to give them a permission structure to break away from their party.</s>KING: And Marc, your state is one of the most complicated states, Florida because it's so different. You know, the old cliche is the farther south you go, the further north you get, meaning, you know, retirees from the north in Broward, in Palm Beach, in the Miami and the like. Walk through some of the complications. If you're a candidate who is trailing late in a race, how hard it is, because you have different constituencies depending on where you are in the state.</s>CAPUTO: Ok. Yes. So basically we have ten major media markets and 67 counties. When you go the southeast of Florida, it's culturally like the northeast because of I-95. But Miami Dade, the largest county in the far southeast is basically the capital of Latin America. On the southwest coast is essentially culturally like the Midwest because of I-75 and then you have the area called the I-4 corridor which swings from Tampa to Orlando and over east into Daytona Beach which is basically the swing area of the swing state. Kind of like everywhere, U.S.A. So you have all of these different constituencies and then you have north Florida, which is the farther north you go, the deeper south you are. Now, in Florida we also have about 30 days of early voting by absentee ballot. And you can't compare 2016 to 2020 exactly because Republicans listening to the president who's kind of demonized mail-in voting are not asking their ballot and say they want to vote in person. But it's still a really, really big deal that Democrats are turning in absentee ballots at such a high rate -- 841,000 Democrats have already voted. It's like eight times what they did at this point in 2016. That compares to 483,000 Republican. So the Democrats are really voting in big numbers. Now, when the in person early voting period begins later in the month, we'll start to see if Republicans are going to catch up and they're just going to show up that way. Just one last point, in 2016 Hillary Clinton actually went into election day with a 247,000 vote lead. Republicans showed in such force the she wound up losing the state by 113,000. So we've seen this play before a little. But we just haven't seen Democrats pour it on the way they're pouring it on now.</s>KING: Pouring it on at the moment. And Arizona is early voting, is similar? Is that what you're seeing?</s>SANCHEZ: That's what we're seeing. I mean we've only just begun. We have -- I don't think we have a good enough sense of what the trend lines are going to be but we do expect Democratic surges across the state, even outside of Maricopa County. So we'll be watch those closely and reporting on them on "The Arizona Republic".</s>KING: Yvonne and Marc, grateful for your help from the battleground states this Sunday --</s>CAPUTO: Thank you.</s>KING: -- it's hard to understand a campaign if you're here in Washington.</s>SANCHEZ: Thanks so much.</s>KING: Thank you. Up next for us, the president's new stimulus offer is panned by House Democrats and Senate Republicans. The Washington gridlock that threatens the fragile coronavirus recovery.