More Americans watch World News Tonight with David Muir than any other newscast.
Whenever, wherever news breaks, it's so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London. In Buffalo. Uvalde, Texas. Edinburgh, Scotland. Reporting from Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw. We're heading to a small community outside of Mexico City, getting you behind the stories as they happen. ABC News Live Prime. We'll take you there.
Stream ABC news live weeknights wherever you stream your news, only on ABC News Live.
An air show, crash has taken the life of a well-known stunt pilot who helped the cast of the latest Top Gun movie. Chuck Coleman was killed Sunday at an airport in New Mexico. Coleman trained Miles teller, preparing him to fly in fighter jets for Tom Cruise's movie. He was 73 years old.
More restaurant chains are feeling the financial crunch. Restaurants are on track to declare the most bankruptcies in decades, not counting the pandemic. TGI Friday's is the latest to reportedly prepare for chapter 11 rising costs a major factor.
Now to women's sports and a new fight for higher pay.
The New York Liberty are WNBA champions.
Just one day after the New York Liberty won the WNBA championship. A major decision from the league's players.
Breaking news the players union.
Opting out of its collective bargaining agreement early to demand higher pay and better training facilities. Here's Clark. That one rattles through. Women's basketball just enjoyed a record smashing year. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving viewership to all time highs. And a new media rights deal could earn the league $200 million per year.
Increases in attendance by 48%, increases in merchandise sales by 600% 100% compared to last year.
But the league's big stars are not earning big money. Clark and Reese made about $70,000 salaries in their rookie season.
I just hope y'all know the WNBA don't pay my bills at all.
For comparison, the number one draft pick in the NBA last year made more than $12 million in his rookie season. The highest earning WNBA player makes about 2% of that. The president of the players association says opting out of the contract isn't just about bigger paychecks, it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built. Many players compete overseas in the off season to boost their income. Others cash in on endorsements. Caitlin Clark reportedly signed a $28 million contract with Nike. But the Players Association says it's ready to take a stand, saying we are ready to lead transformational change that goes beyond women's sports. The players and the league will have to sort out a new contract by the end of next season, or they risk a lockout and that stops play.
Coming up, the haunted house. That might be too haunted.
Plus, a possible new future for Playboy.
It's lunchtime in America. So what are we serving up? Well, how.
About everything you need to know?
Give it to me. Your health, your money.
Breaking news, pop culture with the biggest stars, music trends, and of course, good food. It's all coming.
Up on Gma3. You're going to love it.
We'll see you then. I'm gonna have me three.
What you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon. So join us.
Afternoons for everything you need to.
Know. I love that. Me too.
Why do so many people start their day here?
From ABC news. This is start here to be in the know.
And get a different take on the day's top stories. A lot of.
News today, so let's get into it.
Listen now to the daily news podcast honored with four Edward R Murrow Awards, and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to. Start here. ABC News make it your daily first listen.
Now that's a part of the story I bet you didn't see coming. Wherever you get.
Your podcasts, start here Wednesday night.
Oh my God, are you kidding me? Oh no way. Jon Stewart is here. What would you do Wednesday night? What would you do.
If you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick.
Cash? He squirted water down there.
Oh, we would not do that. I saw you.
I'll testify. Drama.
Drama. I think we should break it now. What do people say is none of your business. If I told you what I'd say, you can't record it.
The question is, what would you do? Wednesday night at ten nine central on ABC.
Whoa.
What's better than Halloween costumes and candy?
How about having a costume so creatively cool that it gets you a trip to GMA? We are looking.
For families, children, friends with the most creative, cute, scary costumes in at America. So scan this QR code to see how to share your costume, photos or videos.
And who knows, you could end up right here live on GMA Halloween morning for all of America to see. Don't wait, wait. I like this one. You know.
Reporting from the path of Hurricane Helene in Tallahassee, Florida. I'm Micah Jackie. Wherever the story is, we'll take you there. You're streaming ABC news live.
Time to check the pulse. And we begin with a treasure trove of lithium right under America's nose.
Researchers say the state of Arkansas may be sitting on 19 million tons of lithium, which is used in rechargeable batteries, enough to meet the demand for the entire world.
The lithium will have to be extracted from an underground reservoir. Companies are trying to figure out a cost effective way to do just that. Next, Hugh Hefner's son wants to make Playboy the family business again.
His father founded the magazine back in 1953 and built it into a lifestyle brand before it mostly faded from public view. Well, now Cooper Hefner wants to buy it from the current owners for 100 million bucks. The company's valuation is about half that. The stock traded at around $50 per share in 2021, and it's now worth less than a dollar per share. Now to Tennessee and a twisted haunted house.
The place, referred to as a torture chamber under disguise, is back. McKinley manor has been the subject of a Hulu show and a criminal investigation. At one point, customers signed a 40 page waiver acknowledging they might experience waterboarding or other nightmares.
The owner has faced legal woes, but reports say it remains open. Next, we stay in Tennessee, this time for a close encounter with a bear.
A family's trip was interrupted when a bear made its way into their cabin in Gatlinburg. The mother of the visiting family screamed at the bear, telling it to get out, and it listened, but left with some treats.
We looked outside and it had the peanut butter And, um, it also had a jelly spoon that we had left out. And then we looked at the table and it had eaten my son's breakfast.
Ah, yes. The old peanut butter and bear combo.
Three. Two. One.
It's a 24 over seven life together.
It's not about the fear or the risk. It's about the love of flying. Three. Two. One. There's a new.
Way your family can be targeted. I imposter scams. Thieves using AI to commit fraud.
You look scared. Well I am. That's very.
Believable. Now, this week, the tools you need to know to protect your family on Good Morning America. Why do so many people start their day here?
From ABC news. This is start here to be in the know.
And get a different take on the day's top stories. A lot of.
News today, so let's get into it.
Listen now to the daily news podcast honored with four Edward R Murrow Awards, and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to. Start here ABC news. Make it your daily first listen.
Now that's a part of the story I bet you didn't see coming. Wherever you get.
Your podcasts, start here. David Muir, ABC's World News Tonight, the most watched newscast in America and honored with the Emmy Award winner for outstanding Live news program. More Americans watch world News Tonight with David Muir than any other newscast.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime, and they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake.
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
More top stories. Now the election is just two weeks away. Vice President Harris and Liz Cheney made a bipartisan play for Republican voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Former President Trump focused on North Carolina, closing out the day with a pitch to Christian leaders. 15 million Americans have already voted, including a higher rate of Republicans than usual.
A teenager is due in court charged in the death of five people in Washington. The victims, including two adults and three kids, were found in a home near Seattle. No word on their relationship, but neighbors say a large family lived there.
New details about the Houston helicopter crash that killed four people, including a child. Pilots say the lights on a radio tower that the chopper hit have a history of not working. An FAA notice warned some of its lights were unserviceable.
Today's weather record high temperatures possible in the northeast. Unseasonable warmth stretches across the country. Rain possible in the northern plains.
Finally, the blind teenager taking on cross-country running.
He spoke to Danny New. You're doing awesome. Keep going. Ash. It's pretty rare that 13 year old.
Ashton Dunford ever stops moving.
I like to go really fast and when I can.
The Utah native was born with underdeveloped optic nerves and is blind. However, at his first cross country race this season. Good job Ashton. You're almost there. You're almost there. That did not stop him from picking off people left and right. You were flying, man.
Yeah.
His mother, Hilda, shared this video of Ashton racing alongside his guide, runner, and millions of people quickly found it. One commenter writing, I can't love this Enough now. Ashton had been running track for years, but the journey to his cross-country debut began last summer when Hilda tried to run A5K with her son.
I thought I could be his guide, but I didn't realize how fast he was.
That's when she and her husband got in contact with the town to arrange for a high school cross-country runner to come sprint alongside Ashton during his races for the middle school team. The guide runner will wear a watch to update him on his pace, tell him when they're about to pass somebody and let him know when one of Utah's many giant hills are on the horizon.
They always are. So encouraging.
Of course, not surprisingly, Ashton has tried many sports over the years, like skiing and rappelling down a cliff, but it sounds like he has big goals when it comes to running.
I want to see if I can make it to the Olympics.
That'd be pretty cool. The Paralympics. Keep going.
Good job ash. You're doing good. And in the meantime, Ashton has a message for anyone out there who might be afraid to try something new.
Even though you do trip, and even though sometimes it's like you're scared. Yeah, because you're scared. You can still do it.
By the way, guys. Ashton also likes to act and has actually spent the last year taking horseback riding lessons because he got cast in a movie called if I Could Ride two, where he plays a boy who is blind and rides horses. Guys, he's ready to learn anything.
And we can learn a lot from him as well that.
We can. An acting career already taking off. That's your Good morning, America first look.
Have a great day, everyone.
America's number one news ABC news now streaming 24 over seven on Disney Plus.
Right now on Good Morning America. First look, the race for president and a new push by former Republican officials and lawmakers to investigate Elon Musk and his million dollar giveaway to registered voters. Is he violating election law?
Meanwhile, Trump and Harris on the campaign trail, tackling everything from taxes to transgender rights. The new poll from each battleground state.
Extreme fall weather from drought to record heat. The conditions are causing concern from coast to coast.
A new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. The man convicted in a shaken baby death faces a new hurdle but gets some help from Doctor Phil.
Caught on camera. The deadly crash at this popular air show. The pilot's connection to Top Gun.
A new warning to parents about pink cocaine after it was reportedly found in One Direction singer Liam Payne's system following his death.
Tough times in the restaurant industry. The long running chain now considering bankruptcy.
Plus, the new battle for higher salaries in the WNBA. What players are now demanding.
And later, a possible new future for Playboy.
From ABC news. This is good morning America. First look.
Good Tuesday morning everyone I'm Andrew Dymburt.
Happy Tuesday. I'm Rhiannon ally. We begin with the presidential race. Election day now, just two weeks from today.
Former President Trump focusing on tax cuts and transgender rights at his latest rally. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is focusing on winning over Republicans unhappy with Trump. Another major headline involves Elon Musk and a new push to investigate his million dollar giveaway to voters. ABC's Perry Russom has details. Perry. Good morning. Andrew, good morning to you.
Some high profile Republicans accused Elon Musk of violating federal voting laws, which could potentially carry a five year prison sentence.
This morning.
Former Republican officials and.
Lawmakers are calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Elon Musk after the billionaire Trump supporter announced $1 million giveaways to random voters in swing states for signing his petition.
All you have to do is sign a petition in support of the Constitution.
Last night, Musk announcing the third winner in as many days, Shannon from Pennsylvania, and a letter obtained by the Washington Post, 11 former Republican officials argue Musk is essentially bribing people to register, writing the prizes are framed as payments for signing a petition, but many of the payments are restricted to registered voters, so anyone who wishes to get paid must first register.
Make sure you get out and cast your vote.
Early voting is underway in nearly every state. One survey finds 47% of early votes have been cast by Democrats, 33% by Republicans. Vice President Kamala Harris holding events in three swing states with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
If you think about how you conduct, you know, your life outside of politics, how we all conduct our everyday lives, those are the kinds of people that you trust. Those are the kinds of people you can work with. Like, if you wouldn't, if you wouldn't hire somebody to babysit your kids, like, you shouldn't make that guy the president of the United States.
Maria Shriver hosting the event in Michigan, making this admission about predetermined questions. Are we going to be.
Able to say.
You're not. Unfortunately, we have some predetermined questions, and I hopefully I'll be able to ask some of the questions that might be in your head, I hope so.
The Trump campaign calling it Kamala's fake town hall with loser Warhawk Liz Cheney. Trump has also used predetermined questions during some of his town halls. Harris telling Shriver she wakes up in the middle of the night from the stress of the election. Shriver with these suggestions.
Everybody I talked to says, I'm meditating. I'm doing yoga. I'm doing. I'm so anxious. I just don't even know. I'm eating gummies, all kinds of things. You know, what are you doing? What are you doing? Not eating gummies.
Trump in North Carolina yesterday, surveying storm damage and speaking to supporters in Greenville.
This election is a choice between whether we will have a four. Think of this four more years. I could could you stand it? Four more years of incompetence? stupidity and failure and disaster, or whether we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country.
Trump railing against undocumented migrants. Referencing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which permitted the arrest, imprisonment and deportation of non-U.S. citizens during wartime.
That's when we had real politicians that said, we're not going to play games. We have to go back to 1798.
Trump also pushing his economic proposals, which include tariffs on imported goods and eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime. A new analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget warns Social Security could run out of money within six years under Trump's policies. The committee says Harris's economic plan would have minimal impact on Social Security. Trump also making transgender rights an issue on the campaign trail, telling a crowd of Christian voters, if elected, he would address trans rights. On day one.
I will take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two genders, male and female. I will keep men out of women's sports.
And a new poll shows a tight race in every battleground state. Harris has the edge in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump in Arizona and North Carolina. Each state is within the margin of error. Rhiannon is going.
To be a close one. Perry, thank you for that. Breaking overnight flames lit up the sky in Dallas as crews fought a fire at a wood pallet manufacturing plant near Love Field. Look at this video here. Power was out in the surrounding area as the fire possibly spread to a nearby substation. There is no immediate word on any injuries. We turn now to the historic weather affecting people really from coast to coast. An autumn drought causing problems from new Jersey all the way to California. Farmers in the northeast are setting up sprinklers in late October, fighting unusually dry conditions and record heat. 77% of the mainland U.S. is abnormally dry, and nearly half is officially in a drought. These cities are among those seeing their driest autumn so far on record. Minneapolis has less than an inch. It usually gets nearly five inches by this point in the season. Austin, Texas usually sees nearly six inches but has received less than one tenth of an inch. The problem made worse by unseasonable temperatures. Even parts of new Jersey could get into the mid 80s today.
From a selfish point of view. I'm enjoying the weather.
Leaf peepers headed to this new Jersey farm can pick a pumpkin, but they're out of luck at the orchard. It halted apple picking early this year due to concerns about the dry conditions. The owner is hoping for sustained rain.
It's not going to be 1in or 2in. It's going to have to be several inches spread out through a couple of days in the West.
Wildfire concerns this recent fire, prompting 500 Oakland, California residents to evacuate in Wyoming. The Elk Fire is so big it can be seen burning from space and in the plains, whipping winds fueling this fire. In Nebraska, farmers were told to stop harvesting until the winds subsided. Incredible video there. Forecasters say parts of the northeast and the Midwest could get a break from these conditions in the next few months, but areas of the plains and the south will stay dry. A new twist.
In a death penalty showdown in Texas. A man convicted in the shaken baby death of his daughter is facing a new hurdle. Robert Roberson, the first person facing execution in a case of shaken baby syndrome, was supposed to appear yesterday before a committee of state lawmakers to make a rare appeal for clemency. But that did not happen.
I'm very disappointed to say I don't believe that will happen today.
The attorney general said Roberson could testify only via video, not in person at the Capitol. But lawmakers decided against a virtual appearance, citing his autism and communication challenges. Instead, his high profile supporters, including Doctor Phil. Were there fighting to save Robertson's life.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice here. We start executing people in Texas, absent due process, absent fair trial. We are going down a really dangerous road.
But the jury in the box and let's have a fair trial. That's all we're asking for.
Last Thursday, Robertson's execution for the 2002 death of his two year old daughter, Nikki, was halted at the last moment by the Texas Supreme Court amid new evidence in the case. His lawyers argue that shaken baby syndrome has now been debunked, and they claim there's evidence that Nikki actually died from pneumonia complications.
Texas has on its book a law that allows that once science has shown that something is now junk, or it is no longer applicable that anyone convicted under that old science can use the law as a vehicle to have their trial either retried or have the issues re-examined.
Once an execution is postponed in Texas. It cannot be rescheduled for 90 days. In the meantime, it's up to that committee of lawmakers to determine what happens next.
Now, until then, there will be a court battle about whether or not he appears for this, this testimony for the House and person. Also, there will be a debate as to whether or not this is something that should receive a new trial.
A juror from Roberson's trial also testified yesterday that she would not have voted to convict him, given the new evidence.
Dramatic new video from the Middle East. A woman was rescued in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike left her trapped in the rubble of her home for five days. The airstrikes have been aimed at wiping out Hamas fighters. Palestinian officials say more than 250,000 homes have been destroyed. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel today hoping to revive ceasefire efforts.
Sources say former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer. It's said to be a form of bone marrow cancer. Weinstein is reportedly receiving treatment in jail here in New York. He's being prosecuted again for sex crimes. Weinstein had emergency heart surgery last month.
It is time now for your Tuesday forecast. Looking at the radar now, the only threat of rain today is in the Northern Plains. A cold front is moving in, bringing a chance for showers. And new video shows the aftermath of extreme flooding in Roswell, New Mexico. Vehicles that were swept away were dropped by fast moving creeks. Others were wedged against bridges. At least two people died. Hundreds of homes there were damaged. And checking today's high temperatures. Unseasonably warm from the southwest all the way to the northeast. Cool in the northwest. 79 in New York. 82 in D.C.. DC.
Coming up, the famous surfer killed by a swordfish.
Also ahead, a new warning to parents about pink cocaine after it was found in One Direction singer Liam Payne system after his death.
And later the one state apparently sitting on a gold mine. Only the gold in this case is lithium.
Whenever news breaks.
We are here in Israel, a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas. On the.
Ground in.
Ukraine, reporting from Lewiston, Maine.
The scene of a horrific mass shooting.
ABC News Live is right there everywhere.
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Reporting from the earthquake in Turkey in Rolling Fork.
This tornado tore through this little town.
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Carolina, on the 2024 campaign trail.
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So what are we serving up? Well, how about everything you need to know?
Give it to me. Your health, your money. Breaking news, pop culture with the biggest stars, music trends, and of course, good food. It's all coming up.
On GMA three. You're going to love it.
We'll see you then.
Two three. What you need to know A third hour of GMA in the afternoon.
So Jordan afternoons for everything you need to know. I love that. Me too.
Oh, what's better than Halloween costumes and candy?
How about having a costume so creatively cool that it gets you a trip to GMA? We are looking.
For families, children, friends with the most creative, cute, scary costumes in America. So scan this QR code to see how to share your costume, photos or videos.
And who knows, you could end up right here live on GMA Halloween morning for all of America to see. Don't wait, wait. I like this one. You know.
ABC's David Muir the most watched newscast in America. More Americans watch World News tonight with David Muir than any other newscast.
This body camera video shows a man being rescued from the top of a 250 foot radio tower near Minneapolis. Officers had to use ropes to climb up and get him down, one officer said. After this rescue, he won't need to work out for months. No word why the 51 year old man was up there.
A freak accident has claimed the life of a well-known surfer. 36 year old Julia Manfrini was surfing in Indonesia when she was speared by a swordfish, suffering a two inch deep wound. She was known for her online travel company, which focused on surfing.
New details about the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne. His autopsy is shining a spotlight on pink cocaine. A former DEA agent is sounding the alarm about a designer drug making headlines in recent days called Pink Cocaine.
It's been in the United States for a.
Little while now. Not it hasn't been as popular as it's becoming now.
An autopsy has revealed former One Direction singer Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system, including pink cocaine, when he plunged off a hotel balcony in Argentina last week, dying at the age of 31. The drug has also been linked to rapper Sean Diddy Combs and a lawsuit filed by his former music producer, who claims it was required that all of Diddy's employees, from the butler to the housekeepers, walk around with a pouch filled with drugs, including to see another name for pink cocaine. Despite its name, there's often no cocaine in the mix of drugs, which acts as both a stimulant and depressant.
The first piece that we almost always see in pink or pink cocaine is ketamine, a dissociative drug, something that makes people feel like they're detached from reality. The second component is a psychedelic.
Public health officials are warning parents that designer drug, with its bright color, is growing in popularity among teens and young adults.
No matter where you live and however isolated you think you are from street drugs. Now, with social media, with the smartphone, everyone lives in an open air drug market.
The drug targets teens and young adults with its strawberry flavor and bright color from food coloring.
Really scary stuff coming up. The deadly crash at a popular air show. The pilot's connection to the movie Top Gun.
Also ahead, a fight for higher salaries in the WNBA.
Wednesday night. Oh my God. Are you kidding me? Oh no way. John? Fiona's here. What would you do Wednesday night?
What would you do if you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick cash?
He squirted water down there.
Oh, we would not do that. I saw you.
I'll testify. Drama.
Drama. I think we should break it now. What if people say it's none of your business? If I told you what I'd say. You can't record.
It. The question is, what would you do? Wednesday night at ten nine central on ABC.
Whenever. Wherever news breaks. It's so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London, in Buffalo. Uvalde, Texas. Edinburgh, Scotland. Reporting from Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw. We're heading to a small community outside of Mexico City, getting you behind the stories as they happen. ABC News Live Prime. We'll take you there.
Stream ABC news live weeknights wherever you stream your news only on ABC News Live.
This is a world that is changing very quickly. This was just filled with forests. There, there. There.
There, there. It's lunchtime in America. So what are we serving up?
Well, how about everything you need to know?
Give it to me. Your health, your money. Breaking news, pop culture with the biggest stars, music trends, and of course, good food. It's all coming up on Gma3.
You're going to love it.
We'll see you then. I gotta hand.
It to me. Three. What you need to know. A third hour of GMA in the afternoon. So join us.
Afternoons for everything you need to know. I love that. Me too.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime. And they were raised in a house of hate. When can we as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
An air show crash has taken the life of a well-known stunt pilot who helped the cast of the latest Top Gun movie. Chuck Coleman was killed Sunday at an airport in New Mexico. Coleman trained Miles teller, preparing him to fly in fighter jets for Tom Cruise's movie. He was 73 years old.
More restaurant chains are feeling the financial crunch. Restaurants are on track to declare the most bankruptcies in decades, not counting the pandemic. TGI Friday's is the latest to reportedly prepare for chapter 11 rising costs a major factor.
Now to women's sports and a new fight for higher pay.
The New York Liberty are WNBA champions.
Just one day after the New York Liberty won the WNBA championship. A major decision from the league's players. Breaking news the players union opting out of its collective bargaining agreement early to demand higher pay and better training facilities. Here's Clark. That one rattles through. Women's basketball just enjoyed a record smashing year. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving viewership to all time highs, and a new media rights deal could earn the league $200 million per year.
Increases in attendance by 48%, increases in merchandise sales by 600% compared to last year, but.
The league's big stars are not earning big money. Clark and Reese made about $70,000 salaries in their rookie season.
I just hope y'all know the WNBA don't pay my bills at all.
For comparison, the number one draft pick in the NBA last year made more than $12 million in his rookie season. The highest earning WNBA player makes about 2% of that. The president of the players association says opting out of the contract isn't just about bigger paychecks, it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built. Many players compete overseas in the off season to boost their income. Others cash in on endorsements. Caitlin Clark reportedly signed a $28 million contract with Nike. But the Players Association says it's ready to take a stand, saying we are ready to lead transformational change that goes beyond women's sports. The players and the league will have to sort out a new contract by the end of next season, or they risk a lockout and that stops play.
Coming up the haunted house. That might be too haunted.
Plus, a possible new future for Playboy.
With so much at stake, so much on the line, more Americans turn here than any other newscast. ABC News World News Tonight with David Muir, America's number one most watched newscast across all of television.
Hi, my name is Patrice. I am a totally cool person with a disability who could do most anything.
He just said, would you.
Like to be my wife? They're never going to stop us from loving each other.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime, and they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers? Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
This is a world that is changing very quickly. This was just filled with forests. There, there. There.
There, there. Whoa!
What's better than Halloween costumes and candy?
How about having a costume so creatively cool that it gets you a trip to GMA? We are looking.
For families, children, friends with the most creative, cute, scary costumes in America. So scan this QR code to see how to share your costume, photos or videos. And who knows.
You could end up right here live on GMA Halloween morning for all of America to see. Don't wait. I like this one. You know.
Reporting from the protests at Columbia University.
I'm Stephanie Ramos. Wherever the story is we'll.
Take you there.
You're streaming ABC news live.
Time to check the pulse. And we begin with a treasure trove of lithium right under America's nose.
Researchers say the state of Arkansas may be sitting on 19 million tons of lithium, which is used in rechargeable batteries, enough to meet the demand for the entire world.
The lithium will have to be extracted from an underground reservoir. Companies are trying to figure out a cost effective way to do just that. Next, Hugh Hefner's son wants to make Playboy the family business again.
His father founded the magazine back in 1953 and built it into a lifestyle brand before it mostly faded from public view. Well, now Cooper Hefner wants to buy it from the current owners for 100 million bucks. The company's valuation is about half that. The stock traded around $50 per share in 2021, and it's now worth less than a dollar per share. Now to Tennessee and a twisted haunted house.
The place, referred to as a torture chamber under disguise, is back. McKinley manor has been the subject of a Hulu show and a criminal investigation. At one point, customers signed a 40 page waiver acknowledging they might experience waterboarding or other nightmares.
The owner has faced legal woes, but reports say it remains open. Next, we stay in Tennessee, this time for a close encounter with a bear.
A family's trip was interrupted when a bear made its way into their cabin in Gatlinburg. The mother of the visiting family screamed at the bear, telling it to get out, and it listened, but left with some treats.
We looked outside and it had the peanut butter And, um, it also had a jelly spoon that we had left out. And then we looked at the table and it had eaten my son's breakfast.
Ah, yes. The old peanut butter and bear combo.
It's lunchtime in America. So what are we serving up?
Well, how about everything you need to know?
Give it to me. Your health, your money. Breaking news, pop culture with the biggest stars, music trends, and of course, good food. It's all coming up.
On GMA three. You're going to love it.
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So Jordan afternoons for everything you need to know. I love that. Me too. Why do.
So many people start their day here.
From ABC news. This is start here to be in the.
Know and get a different take on the day's top stories.
A lot of news today, so let's get into it.
Listen now to the daily news podcast honored with four Edward R Murrow Awards, and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to. Start here ABC news make it your daily first listen.
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Wednesday night. Oh my God. Oh my God. Are you kidding me? We're back with the biggest and.
Best season yet. Oh my God.
The question is.
What would you do now on Wednesday nights.
On ABC? 14 days to go and more Americans turn to David Muir and World News Tonight than any other newscast. The race a dead heat with so much at stake. Turn to David Muir on election night. And ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir. The number one newscast in America.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime. And they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake.
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
Check out more top stories. Now the election is just two weeks away. Vice President Harris and Liz Cheney made a bipartisan play for Republican voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Former President Trump focused on North Carolina, closing out the day with a pitch to Christian leaders. 15 million Americans have already voted, including a higher rate of Republicans than usual.
A teenager is due in court charged in the death of five people in Washington. The victims, including two adults and three kids, were found in a home near Seattle. No word on their relationship, but neighbors say a large family lived there.
New details about the Houston helicopter crash that killed four people, including a child. Pilots say the lights on a radio tower that the chopper hit have a history of not working. An FAA notice warned some of its lights were unserviceable.
Today's weather record high temperatures possible in the northeast. Unseasonable warmth stretches across the country. Rain possible in the northern plains.
Finally, the blind teenager taking on cross-country running.
He spoke to Danny New. You're doing.
Awesome. Keep going. Ash. It's pretty rare that 13 year old Ashton Dunford ever stops moving.
I like to go really fast and when I can.
The Utah native was born with underdeveloped optic nerves and is blind. However, at his first cross country race this season. Good job Ashton. You're almost there. You're almost there. That did not stop him from picking off people left and right.
You were flying, man.
Yeah.
His mother, Hilda, shared this video of Ashton racing alongside his guide, runner, and millions of people quickly found it. One commenter writing, I can't love this enough now. Ashton had been running track for years, but the journey to his cross-country debut began last summer when Hilda tried to run A5K with her son.
I thought I could be his guide, but I didn't realize how fast he was.
That's when she and her husband got in contact with the town to arrange for a high school cross-country runner to come sprint alongside Ashton during his races for the middle school team. The guide runner will wear a watch to update him on his pace, tell him when they're about to pass somebody and let him know when one of Utah's many giant hills are on the horizon.
They always are so encouraging.
Of course, not surprisingly, Ashton has tried many sports over the years, like skiing and rappelling down a cliff, but it sounds like he has big goals when it comes to running.
I want to see if I can make it to the Olympics.
That'd be pretty.
Cool.
The Paralympics. Keep going.
Good job ash. You're doing good. And in the meantime, Ashton has a message for anyone out there who might be afraid to try something new.
Even though you do trip, and even though sometimes it's like you're scared. Yeah. You're scared. You can still do it.
By the way, guys. Ashton also likes to act and has actually spent the last year taking horseback riding lessons because he got cast in a movie called if I Could Ride Too, where he plays a boy who was blind and rides horses. Guys, he's ready to learn anything.
And we can learn a lot from him as well that.
We can. An acting career already taking off. That's your Good morning, America first look.
Have a great day, everyone.
America's number one news ABC news now streaming 24 over seven on Disney Plus.
Right now on Good Morning America. First look, the race for president and a new push by former Republican officials and lawmakers to investigate Elon Musk and his million dollar giveaway to registered voters. Is he violating election law?
Meanwhile, Trump and Harris on the campaign trail, tackling everything from taxes to transgender rights. The new poll from each battleground state.
Extreme fall weather from drought to record heat. The conditions causing concern from coast to coast.
A new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. The man convicted in a shaken baby death faces a new hurdle but gets some help from Doctor Phil.
Caught on camera. The deadly crash at this popular air show. The pilot's connection to Top Gun.
A new warning to parents about pink cocaine after it was reportedly found in One Direction singer Liam Payne's system following his death.
Tough times in the restaurant industry. The long running chain now considering bankruptcy.
Plus, the new battle for higher salaries in the WNBA. What players are now demanding.
And later, a possible new future for Playboy.
From ABC news. This is good morning America. First look.
Good Tuesday morning everyone I'm Andrew Dymburt.
Happy Tuesday. I'm Rhiannon ally. We begin with the presidential race. Election day now, just two weeks from today.
Former President Trump focusing on tax cuts and transgender rights at his latest rally. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is focusing on winning over Republicans unhappy with Trump. Another major headline involves Elon Musk and a new push to investigate his million dollar giveaway to voters. ABC's Perry Russom has details. Perry. Good morning.
Andrew, good morning to you. Some high profile Republicans accused Elon Musk of violating federal voting laws, which could potentially carry a five year prison sentence. This morning, former Republican officials and lawmakers are calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Elon Musk after the billionaire Trump supporter announced $1 million giveaways to random voters in swing states for signing his petition.
All you have to do is sign a petition in support of the Constitution.
Last night, Musk announcing the third winner in as many days, Shannon from Pennsylvania. And a letter obtained by The Washington Post. 11 former Republican officials argue Musk is essentially bribing people to register, writing the prizes are framed as payments for signing a petition, but many of the payments are restricted to registered voters, so anyone who wishes to get paid must first register.
Make sure you get out and cast your vote.
Early voting is underway in nearly every state. One survey finds 47% of early votes have been cast by Democrats, 33% by Republicans. Vice President Kamala Harris holding events in three swing states with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
If you think about how you conduct, you know, your life outside of politics, how we all conduct our everyday lives, those are the kinds of people that you trust. Those are the kinds of people you can work with. Like, if you wouldn't, if you wouldn't hire somebody to babysit your kids, like, you shouldn't make that guy the president of the United States.
Maria Shriver hosting the event in Michigan, making this admission about predetermined questions. Are we going to be.
Able to ask the question?
You're not. Unfortunately, we have some predetermined questions, and I hopefully I'll be able to ask some of the questions that might be in your head, I hope so.
The Trump campaign calling it Kamala's fake town hall with loser Warhawk Liz Cheney. Trump has also used predetermined questions during some of his town halls, Harris telling Shriver she wakes up in the middle of the night from the stress of the election. Shriver, with these suggestions.
Everybody I talked to says, I'm meditating. I'm doing yoga. I'm doing. I'm so anxious. I just don't even know. I'm eating gummies, all kinds of things. You know, what are you doing? What are you doing? Not eating gummies.
Trump in North Carolina yesterday, surveying storm damage and speaking to supporters in Greenville.
This election is a choice between whether we will have a four. Think of this four more years. I could could you stand it? It's four more years of Incompetence, stupidity and failure and disaster, or whether we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country.
Trump railing against undocumented migrants, referencing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which permitted the arrest, imprisonment and deportation of non-U.S. citizens during wartime.
That's when we had real politicians that said, we're not going to play games. We have to go back to 1798.
Trump also pushing his economic proposals, which include tariffs on imported goods and eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime. A new analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget warns Social Security could run out of money within six years under Trump's policies. The committee says Harris's economic plan would have minimal impact on Social Security. Trump also making transgender rights an issue on the campaign trail, telling a crowd of Christian voters, If elected, he would address trans rights. On day one.
I will take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two genders, male and female. I will keep men out of women's sports.
And a new poll shows a tight race in every battleground state. Harris has the edge in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump in Arizona and North Carolina. Each state is within the margin of error. Rhiannon.
It's going to be a close one. Perry. Thank you for that. Breaking overnight, flames lit up the sky in Dallas as crews fought a fire at a wood pallet manufacturing plant near Love Field. Look at this video here. Power was out in the surrounding area as the fire possibly spread to a nearby substation. There is no immediate word on any injuries. We turn now to the historic weather affecting people really from coast to coast. An autumn drought causing problems from new Jersey all the way to California. Farmers in the northeast are setting up sprinklers in late October, fighting unusually dry conditions and record heat. 77% of the mainland U.S. is abnormally dry, and nearly half is officially in a drought. These cities are among those seeing their driest autumn so far on record. Minneapolis has less than an inch. It usually gets nearly five inches by this point in the season. Austin, Texas usually sees nearly six inches, but has received less than one tenth of an inch. The problem is made worse by unseasonable temperatures.
Even parts of new Jersey could get into the mid 80s today.
From a selfish point of view, I'm enjoying the weather.
Leaf peepers headed to this new Jersey farm can pick a pumpkin, but they're out of luck at the orchard. It halted apple picking early this year due to concerns about the dry conditions. The owner is hoping for sustained rain.
It's not going to be 1in or 2in. It's going to have to be several inches spread out through a couple days.
In the West. Wildfire concerns this recent fire, prompting 500 Oakland, California residents to evacuate in Wyoming. The Elk Fire is so big it can be seen burning from space and in the plains, whipping winds fueling this fire. In Nebraska, farmers were told to stop harvesting until the winds subsided. Incredible video there. Forecasters say parts of the northeast and the Midwest could get a break from these conditions in the next few months, but areas of the plains and the south will stay dry.
A new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. A man convicted in the shaken baby death of his daughter is facing a new hurdle. Robert Roberson, the first person facing execution in a case of shaken baby syndrome, was supposed to appear yesterday before a committee of state lawmakers to make a rare appeal for clemency. But that did not happen.
I'm very disappointed to say I don't believe that will happen today.
The attorney general said Roberson could testify only via video, not in person at the Capitol. But lawmakers decided against a virtual appearance, citing his autism and communication challenges. Instead, his high profile supporters, including Doctor Phil. Were there fighting to save Robertson's life.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice here. We start executing people in Texas, absent due process, absent fair trial, we are going down a really dangerous road.
Put the jury in the box and let's have a fair trial. That's all we're asking for.
Last Thursday, Robertson's execution for the 2002 death of his two year old daughter, Nikki, was halted at the last moment by the Texas Supreme Court amid new evidence in the case. His lawyers argue that shaken baby syndrome has now been debunked, and they claim there's evidence Nikki actually died from pneumonia complications.
Texas has on its book a law that allows that once science has shown that something is now junk, or it is no longer applicable that anyone convicted under that old science can use the law as a vehicle to have their trial either retried or have the issues re-examined once an.
Execution is postponed in Texas. It cannot be rescheduled for 90 days. In the meantime, it's up to that committee of lawmakers to determine what happens next.
Now, until then, there will be a court battle about whether or not he appears for this, this testimony for the House and person. Also, there will be a debate as to whether or not this is something that should receive a new trial.
A juror from Robertson's trial also testified yesterday that she would not have voted to convict him, given the new evidence.
Dramatic new video from the Middle East. A woman was rescued in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike left her trapped in the rubble of her home for five days. The airstrikes have been aimed at wiping out Hamas fighters. Palestinian officials say more than 250,000 50,000 homes have been destroyed. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel today hoping to revive ceasefire efforts.
Sources say former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer. It's said to be a form of bone marrow cancer. Weinstein is reportedly receiving treatment in jail here in New York. He's being prosecuted again for sex crimes. Weinstein had emergency heart surgery last month.
It is time now for your Tuesday forecast. Looking at the radar now, the only threat of rain today is in the Northern Plains. A cold front is moving in, bringing a chance for showers. And new video shows the aftermath of extreme flooding in Roswell, New Mexico. Vehicles that were swept away were dropped by fast moving creeks. Others were wedged against bridges. At least two people died. Hundreds of homes there were damaged. And checking today's high temperatures. Unseasonably warm from the southwest all the way to the northeast. Cool in the northwest. 79 in New York, 82 in DC.
Coming up, the famous surfer killed by a swordfish.
Also ahead, a new warning to parents about pink cocaine after it was found in One Direction singer Liam Payne's system after his death.
And later the one state apparently sitting on a gold mine. Only the gold in this case is lithium.
Wednesday night.
Oh my God. Are you kidding me? Oh no way. John Cohn is here. What would you do Wednesday night? What would you.
Do if you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick.
Cash? He squirted water down.
Oh, we would not do that. I saw you.
I'll testify. Drama.
Drama. I think we should break it now. What do people say is none of your business. If I told you what I'd say, you can't record it.
The question is, what would you do? Wednesday night at ten nine central on ABC.
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Wherever news breaks. It's so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London. In Buffalo. Uvalde, Texas. Edinburgh, Scotland. Reporting from Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw. We're heading to a small community outside of Mexico City, getting you behind the stories as they happen. ABC News Live Prime. We'll take you there.
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This body camera video shows a man being rescued from the top of a 250 foot radio tower near Minneapolis. Officers had to use ropes to climb up and get him down. One officer said after this rescue, he won't need to work out for months. No word why the 51 year old man was up there.
A freak accident has claimed the life of a well-known surfer. 36 year old Julia Manfrini was surfing in Indonesia when she was speared by a swordfish, suffering a two inch deep wound. She was known for her online travel company, which focused on surfing.
New details about the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne. His autopsy is shining a spotlight on pink cocaine. A former DEA agent is sounding the alarm about a designer drug making headlines in recent days called Pink Cocaine.
It's been in the United States for a little while now. Not it hasn't been as popular as it's becoming now.
An autopsy has revealed former One Direction singer Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system, including pink cocaine, when he plunged off a hotel balcony in Argentina last week, dying at the age of 31. The drug has also been linked to rapper Sean Diddy Combs and a lawsuit filed by his former music producer, who claims it was required that all of Diddy's employees, from the butler to the housekeepers, walk around with a pouch filled with drugs, including to see another name for pink cocaine. Despite its name, there's often no cocaine in the mix of drugs, which acts as both a stimulant and depressant.
The first piece that we almost always see in pink or pink cocaine is ketamine, a dissociative drug, something that makes people feel like they're detached from reality. The second component is a psychedelic.
Public health officials are warning parents that the designer drug, with its bright color, is growing in popularity among teens and young adults.
No matter where you live and however isolated you think you are from street drugs. Now, with social media, with the smartphone, everyone lives in an open air drug market.
The drug targets teens and young adults with its strawberry flavor and bright color from food coloring.
Really scary stuff coming up. The deadly crash at a popular air show. The pilot's connection to the movie Top Gun.
Also ahead, a fight for higher salaries in the WNBA.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime, and they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
Wait a second, wait a minute. Looks like there's three people coming down the river. These are the last lands. What is this? Explosives. These dynamite blasts down here. We have to go. What's the gas? The national parks around the world.
This area is all right now. Cartel run.
Gold mine that have to be saved.
What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?
We are part of an operation. This is our combat operation center. We're approaching the gate. Militants came in from. I appreciate you.
Thank you. Ismail. David.
David.
ABC's World News tonight with David Muir is America's most watched newscast.
Hi. My name is Patrice. I am a totally cool person with a disability.
Patrice always sees the best side of life. He just looked at her and I said, would you like to be my wife?
If you get married and.
You're collecting a Social Security benefit, your benefit will be cut.
I don't take anything for granted. I don't see.
What anyone can see in.
Anyone. I'm never going to stop us from loving each other.
ABC's David Muir, the most watched newscast in America. More Americans watch World News Tonight with David Muir than any other newscast.
Whenever, wherever news breaks, it's so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London, in Buffalo. Uvalde, Texas. Edinburgh, Scotland. Reporting from Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw. We're heading to a small community outside of Mexico City, getting you behind the stories as they happen. ABC News Live Prime. We'll take you there.
Stream ABC news live weeknights wherever you stream your news, only on ABC News Live.
An air show, crash has taken the life of a well-known stunt pilot who helped the cast of the latest Top Gun movie. Chuck Coleman was killed Sunday at an airport in New Mexico. Coleman trained Miles teller, preparing him to fly in fighter jets for Tom Cruise's movie. He was 73 years old.
More restaurant chains are feeling the financial crunch. Restaurants are on track to declare the most bankruptcies in decades, not counting the pandemic. TGI Friday's is the latest to reportedly prepare for chapter 11 rising costs. A major factor.
Now to women's sports and a new fight for higher pay.
The New York Liberty are WNBA champions.
Just one day after the New York Liberty won the WNBA championship. A major decision from the league's players. Breaking news the players union opting out of its collective bargaining agreement early to demand higher pay and better training facilities. Here's Clark. That one rattles through. Women's basketball just enjoyed a record smashing year. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving viewership to all time highs, and a new media rights deal could earn the league $200 million per year.
Increases in attendance by 48%, increases in merchandise sales by 600% compared to last year.
But the league's big stars are not earning big money. Clark and Reese made about $70,000 salaries in their rookie season.
I just hope y'all know the WNBA don't pay my bills at all.
For comparison, the number one draft pick in the NBA last year made more than $12 million in his rookie season. The highest earning WNBA player makes about 2% of that. The president of the players association says opting out of the contract isn't just about bigger paychecks, it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built. Many players compete overseas in the off season to boost their income. Others cash in on endorsements. Caitlin Clark reportedly signed a $28 million contract with Nike. But the Players Association says it's ready to take a stand, saying we are ready to lead transformational change that goes beyond women's sports. The players and the league will have to sort out a new contract by the end of next season, or they risk a lockout and that stops play coming up.
The haunted house. That might be too haunted.
Plus, a possible new future for Playboy.
It's lunchtime in America. So what are we serving up? Well, how.
About everything you need to know?
Give it to me. Your health, your money. Breaking news, pop culture with the biggest stars, music trends, and of course, good food.
It's all coming up.
On GMA three. You're going to love it.
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Afternoons for everything you need to know. I love that. Me too. Why do.
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News today, so let's get into it.
Listen now to the daily news podcast honored with four Edward R Murrow Awards and see why. The New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to. Start here. ABC News make it your daily first listen.
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Your podcasts, start here Wednesday night.
Oh my God, are you kidding me? Oh no way. John Keown is here with what would you do Wednesday night? What would you.
Do if you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick.
Cash? He squirted water down.
Oh, we would not do that. I saw you. I'll testify.
Drama. Drama. I think we should break it now. What do people say? It's none of your business. If I told you what I'd say, you can't record it.
The question is, what would you do? Wednesday night at ten nine central on ABC.
Whoa.
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Reporting from the Republican National Convention here in Milwaukee. I'm Kayna Whitworth. Wherever the story is we'll take you there. You're streaming ABC news live.
Time to check the pulse. And we begin with a treasure trove of lithium right under America's nose.
Researchers say the state of Arkansas may be sitting on 19 million tons of lithium, which is used in rechargeable batteries, enough to meet the demand for the entire world.
The lithium will have to be extracted from an underground reservoir. Companies are trying to figure out a cost effective way to do just that. Next, Hugh Hefner's son wants to make Playboy the family business again.
His father founded the magazine back in 1953 and built it into a lifestyle brand before it mostly faded from public view. Well, now Cooper Hefner wants to buy it from the current owners for 100 million bucks. The company's valuation is about half that. The stock traded at around $50 per share in 2021, and it's now worth less than a dollar per share. Now to Tennessee and a twisted haunted house.
The place, referred to as a torture chamber under disguise, is back. McKinley manor has been the subject of a Hulu show and a criminal investigation. At one point, customers signed a 40 page waiver acknowledging they might experience waterboarding or other nightmares.
The owner has faced legal woes, but reports say it remains open. Next, we stay in Tennessee, this time for a close encounter with a bear.
A family's trip was interrupted when a bear made its way into their cabin in Gatlinburg. The mother of the visiting family screamed at the bear, telling it to get out, and it listened, but left with some treats.
We looked outside and it had the peanut butter, and it also had a jelly spoon that we had left out. And then we looked at the table and it had eaten my son's breakfast.
Ah yes, the old peanut butter and bear combo.
Three. Two. One.
It's a 24 over seven life together.
It's not about the fear or the risk. It's about the love of flying. Three. Two. One.
There's a new way your family can be targeted by imposter scams. Thieves using AI to commit fraud.
You look scared. Well, I am. That's very.
Believable.
Now, this week, the tools you need to know to protect your family on Good Morning America. Why do so many people start their day here?
From ABC news. This is start here to be.
In the know and get a different take on the day's top stories. A lot of.
News today, so let's get into it.
Listen now to the daily news podcast honored with four Edward R Murrow Awards, and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to. Start here ABC news. Make it your daily first listen.
Now that's a part of the story I bet you didn't see coming. Wherever you get.
Your podcasts, start here. David Muir, ABC's World News Tonight, the most watched newscast in America and honored with the Emmy Award winner for outstanding Live news program. More Americans watch world News Tonight with David Muir than any other newscast.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime, and they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not? The Menendez.
Brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
More top stories now the election is just two weeks away. Vice President Harris and Liz Cheney made a bipartisan play for Republican voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Former President Trump focused on North Carolina, closing out the day with a pitch to Christian leaders. 15 million Americans have already voted, including a higher rate of Republicans than usual.
A teenager is due in court charged in the death of five people in Washington. The victims, including two adults and three kids, were found in a home near Seattle. No word on their relationship, but neighbors say a large family lived there.
New details about the Houston helicopter crash that killed four people, including a child. Pilots say the lights on a radio tower that the chopper hit have a history of not working. An FAA notice warned some of its lights were unserviceable.
Today's weather record high temperatures possible in the northeast. Unseasonable warmth stretches across the country, rain possible in the northern plains.
Finally, the blind teenager taking on cross-country running.
He spoke to Danny New. You're doing.
Awesome. Keep going. Ash. It's pretty rare that 13 year old Ashton Dunford ever stops moving.
I like to go really fast and when I can.
The Utah native was born with underdeveloped optic nerves and is blind. However, at his first cross country race this season. Good job Ashton. You're almost there. You're almost there. That did not stop him from picking off people left and right.
You were flying, man.
Yeah.
His mother, Hilda, shared this video of Ashton racing alongside his guide, runner, and millions of people quickly found it. One commenter writing, I can't love this enough now. Ashton had been running track for years, but the journey to his cross-country debut began last summer when Hilda tried to run A5K with her son.
I thought I could be his guide, but I didn't realize how fast he was.
That's when she and her husband got in contact with the town to arrange for a high school cross-country runner to come sprint alongside Ashton during his races for the middle school team. The guide runner will wear a watch to update him on his pace, tell him when they're about to pass somebody and let him know when one of Utah's many giant hills are on the horizon.
They always are so encouraging.
Of course, not surprisingly, Ashton has tried many sports over the years, like skiing and rappelling down a cliff, but it sounds like he has big goals when it comes to running.
I want to see if I can make it to the Olympics.
That'd be pretty cool. The Paralympics. Keep going.
Good job. You're doing good. And in the meantime, Ashton has a message for anyone out there who might be afraid to try something new.
Even though you do trip, and even though sometimes it's like scary because you're scared you can still do it.
By the way, guys, Ashton also likes to act and has actually spent the last year taking horseback riding lessons because he got cast in a movie called if I Could Ride Too, where he plays a boy who was blind and rides horses. Guys, he's ready to learn anything.
And we can learn a lot from him as well that.
We can. An acting career already taking off. That's your Good morning, America first look.
Have a great day, everyone.
America's number one news ABC news now streaming 24 over seven on Disney Plus.
Right now on Good Morning America. First look the race for president and a new push by former Republican officials and lawmakers to investigate Elon Musk and his million dollar giveaway to registered voters. Is he violating election law?
Meanwhile, Trump and Harris on the campaign trail, tackling everything from taxes to transgender rights. the new poll from each battleground state.
Extreme fall weather from drought to record heat, the conditions causing concern from coast to coast.
A new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. The man convicted in a shaken baby death faces a new hurdle but gets some help from Doctor Phil.
Caught on camera. The deadly crash at this popular air show. The pilot's connection to Top Gun.
A new warning to parents about pink cocaine after it was reportedly found in One Direction singer Liam Payne's system following his death.
Tough times in the restaurant industry. The long running chain now considering bankruptcy.
Plus, the new battle for higher salaries in the WNBA. What players are now demanding.
And later, a possible new future for Playboy.
From ABC news. This is good morning America. First look.
Good Tuesday morning everyone I'm Andrew Dymburt.
Happy Tuesday. I'm Rhiannon ally. We begin with the presidential race. Election day now, just two weeks from today.
Former President Trump focusing on tax cuts and transgender rights at his latest rally. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is focusing on winning over Republicans unhappy with Trump. Another major headline involves Elon Musk and a new push to investigate his million dollar giveaway to voters. ABC's Perry Russom has details. Perry. Good morning. Andrew, good.
Morning to you. Some high profile Republicans accused Elon Musk of violating federal voting laws, which could potentially carry a five year prison sentence. This morning, former Republican officials and lawmakers are calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Elon Musk after the billionaire Trump supporter announced $1 million giveaways to random voters in swing states for signing his petition.
All you have to do is sign a petition in support of the Constitution.
Last night, Musk announcing the third winner in as many days, Shannon from Pennsylvania. and a letter obtained by The Washington Post. 11 former Republican officials argue Musk is essentially bribing people to register, writing the prizes are framed as payments for signing a petition, but many of the payments are restricted to registered voters, so anyone who wishes to get paid must first register.
Make sure you get out and cast your vote.
Early voting is underway in nearly every state. One survey finds 47% of early votes have been cast by Democrats, 33% by Republicans. Vice President Kamala Harris holding events in three swing states with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
If you think about how you conduct, you know, your life outside of politics, how we all conduct our everyday lives, those are the kinds of people that you trust. Those are the kinds of people you can work with. Like, if you wouldn't, if you wouldn't hire somebody to babysit your kids, like, you shouldn't make that guy the president of the United States.
Maria Shriver hosting the event in Michigan, making this admission about predetermined questions. Are we going to.
Be able to ask her questions?
You're not. Unfortunately, we have some predetermined questions, and I hopefully I'll be able to ask some of the questions that might be in your head, I hope so.
The Trump campaign calling it Kamala's fake town hall with loser Warhawk Liz Cheney. Trump has also used predetermined questions during some of his town halls. Harris telling Shriver she wakes up in the middle of the night from the stress of the election. Shriver with these suggestions.
Everybody I talked to says, I'm meditating. I'm doing yoga. I'm doing. I'm so anxious, I just don't even know. I'm eating gummies, all kinds of things. You know, what are you doing? What are you doing? Not eating gummies.
Trump in North Carolina yesterday, surveying storm damage, then speaking to supporters in Greenville.
This election is a choice between whether we will have a four. Think of this four more years. I could could you stand it? It's four more years of incompetence and stupidity and failure and disaster, or whether we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country.
Trump railing against undocumented migrants, referencing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which permitted the arrest, imprisonment and deportation of non-U.S. citizens during wartime.
That's when we had real politicians that said, we're not going to play games. We have to go back to 1798.
Trump also pushing his economic proposals, which include tariffs on imported goods and eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime. A new analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget warns Social Security could run out of money within six years under Trump's policies. The committee says Harris's economic plan would have minimal impact on Social Security. Trump also making transgender rights an issue on the campaign trail, telling a crowd of Christian voters. If elected, he would address trans rights. On day one.
I will take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two genders, male and female. I will keep men out of women's sports.
And a new poll shows a tight race in every battleground state. Harris has the edge in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump in Arizona and North Carolina. Each state is within the margin of error. Rhiannon is going.
To be a close one. Perry, thank you for that. Breaking overnight, flames lit up the sky in Dallas as crews fought a fire at a wood pallet manufacturing plant near Love Field. Look at this video here. Power was out in the surrounding area as the fire possibly spread to a nearby substation. There is no immediate word on any injuries. We turn now to the historic weather affecting people really from coast to coast. An autumn drought causing problems from new Jersey all the way to California. Farmers in the northeast are setting up sprinklers in late October, fighting unusually dry conditions and record heat. 77% of the mainland U.S. is abnormally dry, and nearly half is officially in a drought. These cities are among those seeing their driest autumn so far on record. Minneapolis has less than an inch. It usually gets nearly five inches by this point in the season. Austin, Texas usually sees nearly six inches but has received less than one tenth of an inch. The problem is made worse by unseasonable temperatures. Even parts of new Jersey could get into the mid 80s today.
From a selfish point of view, I'm enjoying the weather.
Leaf peepers headed to this new Jersey farm can pick a pumpkin, but they're out of luck at the orchard. It halted apple picking early this year due to concerns about the dry conditions. The owner is hoping for sustained rain.
It's not going to be 1in or 2in. It's going to have to be several inches spread out through a couple of days.
In the West. Wildfire concerns this recent fire, prompting 500 Oakland, California residents to evacuate in Wyoming. The Elk Fire is so big it can be seen burning from space and in the plains, whipping winds fueling this fire. In Nebraska, farmers were told to stop harvesting until the winds subsided. Incredible video there. Forecasters say parts of the northeast and the Midwest could get a break from these conditions in the next few months, but areas of the plains and the south will stay dry.
A new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. A man convicted in the shaken baby death of his daughter is facing a new hurdle. Robert Roberson, the first person facing execution in a case of shaken baby syndrome, was supposed to appear yesterday before a committee of state lawmakers to make a rare appeal for clemency. But that did not happen.
I'm very disappointed to say I don't believe that will happen today.
The attorney general said Roberson could testify only via video, not in person at the Capitol. But lawmakers decided against a virtual appearance, citing his autism and communication challenges. Instead, his high profile supporters, including Doctor Phil, were there fighting to save Roberson's life.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice here. We start executing people in Texas, absent due process, absent fair trial. We are going down a really dangerous road.
But the jury in the box and let's have a fair trial. That's all we're asking for.
Last Thursday, Roberson's execution for the 2002 death of his two year old daughter, Nikki, was halted at the last moment by the Texas Supreme Court amid new evidence in the case, his lawyers argue. Shaken baby syndrome has now been debunked, and they claim there's evidence that Nikki actually died from pneumonia complications.
Texas has on its book a law that allows that once science has shown that something is now junk, or it is no longer applicable that anyone convicted under that old science can use the law as a vehicle to have their trial either retried or have the issues re-examined.
Once an execution is postponed in Texas. It cannot be rescheduled for 90 days. In the meantime, it's up to that committee of lawmakers to determine what happens next.
Now, until then, there will be a court battle about whether or not he appears for this, this testimony for the House and person. Also, there will be a debate as to whether or not this is something that should receive a new trial.
A juror from Robertson's trial also testified yesterday that she would not have voted to convict him, given the new evidence.
Dramatic new video from the Middle East. A woman was rescued in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike left her trapped in the rubble of her home for five days. The airstrikes have been aimed at wiping out Hamas fighters. Palestinian officials say more than 150,000 homes have been destroyed. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel today hoping to revive ceasefire efforts.
Sources say former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer. It's said to be a form of bone marrow cancer. Weinstein is reportedly receiving treatment in jail here in New York. He's being prosecuted again for sex crimes. Weinstein had emergency heart surgery last month.
It is time now for your Tuesday forecast. Looking at the radar now, the only threat of rain today is in the Northern Plains. A cold front is moving in, bringing a chance for showers. And new video shows the aftermath of extreme flooding in Roswell, New Mexico. Vehicles that were swept away were dropped by fast moving creeks. Others were wedged against bridges. At least two people died. Hundreds of homes there were damaged. And checking today's high temperatures. Unseasonably warm from the southwest all the way to the northeast. Cool in the northwest. 79 in New York. 82 and D.C..
Coming up, the famous surfer killed by a swordfish.
Also ahead, a new warning to parents about pink cocaine after it was found in One Direction singer Liam Payne system after his death.
And later the one state apparently sitting on a gold mine. Only the gold in this case is lithium.
Trick or treat.
When I flip this switch, there'll be a horrible noise and a terrible odor. Will it hurt? Pain like you've never known. Oh.
This is risky. I am satisfied.
What? Are you scared?
This is happiness.
We love Halloween. Ha ha ha ha ha!
Got me.
He's a bit silly.
Turning the machine off. Do you feel good?
Hollywood studios wanted to make a movie of our podcast.
It's a fabulous cast.
Actually. I'm nervous playing you. The fearlessness, the complexity. Oh, stop.
Unless you had more to say.
No, I don't need an algorithm to tell me that this is box office gold.
Only murders in the building streaming on Hulu and for bundle subscribers on Disney Plus.
Three. Two. One.
It's a 24 over seven live together.
It's not about the fear or the risk. It's about the love of flying. Three. Two. One.
David Muir. ABC's World News Tonight, the most watched newscast in America and honored with the Emmy Award winner for outstanding Live news Program. More Americans watch World News Tonight with David Muir than any other newscast. I love this version of me.
America's number one most watched daytime talk show is ABC's The View.
You all heard it here first. This is going to be must see TV. And so much could happen.
That's why it's called the what. W.
I'm in Asheville, North Carolina, where volunteers here are helping feed thousands of people after Hurricane Helene. I'm gio benitez. You're streaming ABC news live.
This body camera video shows a man being rescued from the top of a 250 foot radio tower near Minneapolis. Officers had to use ropes to climb up and get him down. One officer said after this rescue, he won't need to work out for months. No word why the 51 year old man was up there.
A freak accident has claimed the life of a well-known surfer. 36 year old Julia Manfrini was surfing in Indonesia when she was speared by a swordfish, suffering a two inch deep wound. She was known for her online travel company, which focused on surfing.
New details about the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne. His autopsy is shining a spotlight on pink cocaine. A former DEA agent is sounding the alarm about a designer drug making headlines in recent days called Pink Cocaine.
It's been in the United States for a little while now.
Not it hasn't been as popular as it's becoming now.
An autopsy has revealed former One Direction singer Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system, including pink cocaine, when he plunged off a hotel balcony in Argentina last week, dying at the age of 31. The drug has also been linked to rapper Sean Diddy Combs and a lawsuit filed by his former music producer, who claims it was required that all of Diddy's employees, from the butler to the housekeepers, walk around with a pouch filled with drugs, including Tootsie, another name for pink cocaine. Despite its name, there's often no cocaine in the mix of drugs, which acts as both a stimulant and a depressant.
The first piece that we almost always see in pink or pink cocaine is ketamine, a dissociative drug, something that makes people feel like they're detached from reality. The second component is a psychedelic.
Public health officials are warning parents that the designer drug, with its bright color, is growing in popularity among teens and young adults.
No matter where you live and however isolated you think you are from street drugs. Now, with social media, with the smartphone, everyone lives in an open air drug market.
The drug targets teens and young adults with its strawberry flavor and bright color from food coloring.
Really scary stuff coming up. The deadly crash at a popular air show. The pilot's connection to the movie Top Gun.
Also ahead, a fight for higher salaries in the WNBA.
The ship is heaven.
There should be no guilt.
On a pleasure cruise. Doctor, it's your job to keep everybody alive.
No pulse. She's in v-fib.
One. Two. Three. Clear. I have a pulse.
You're gonna be okay.
For the last time, you don't say anything about Blondie. Where the hell did they go? Now it's time to run. No time patrol. How many poachers have you caught?
I did terrible things.
I hurt a lot of people. I know who you are.
Ball is in the air. You're special. Yes. It's a touchdown.
What if God made me this way?
FX's American sports story. Aaron Hernandez. All new Tuesdays at Ten on FX. Stream on Hulu.
When you're 61.
Years old, you have very few opportunities to change your life. This time, I have to be ready for everything. This is about everybody like me. The only thing you see, your future, which is not what I felt like for a really long time. Cause you every. I don't feel invisible now. Sorry.
Hi, my name is Patrice. I am a totally cool person with a disability.
Patrice always sees the best side of life. He just looked at her and I said, would you like to be my wife?
If you get married and you're collecting a Social Security benefit, your benefit will be cut.
I don't take anything for granted. I don't see what anyone can.
See in anyone that's ever going to stop us from loving each other. I do.
An air show crash has taken the life of a well-known stunt pilot who helped the cast of the latest Top Gun movie. Chuck Coleman was killed Sunday at an airport in New Mexico. Coleman trained Miles teller, preparing him to fly in fighter jets for Tom Cruise's movie. He was 73 years old.
More restaurant chains are feeling the financial crunch. Restaurants are on track to declare the most bankruptcies in decades, not counting the pandemic. TGI Friday's is the latest to reportedly prepare for chapter 11 rising costs a major factor.
Now to women's sports and a new fight for higher pay.
The New York Liberty are WNBA champions.
Just one day after the New York Liberty won the WNBA championship. A major decision from the league's players. Breaking news the players union opting out of its collective bargaining agreement early to demand higher pay and better training facilities. Here's Clark. That one rattles through. Women's basketball just enjoyed a record smashing year. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving viewership to all time highs. And a new media rights deal could earn the league $200 million per year.
Increases in attendance by 48%. Increases in merchandise sales by 600% compared to last year.
But the league's big stars are not earning big money. Clark and Reese made about $70,000 salaries in their rookie season.
I just hope y'all know the WNBA don't pay my bills at all.
For comparison, the number one draft pick in the NBA last year made more than $12 million in his rookie season. The highest earning WNBA player makes about 2% of that. The president of the players association says opting out of the contract isn't just about bigger paychecks, it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built. Many players compete overseas in the off season to boost their income. Others cash in on endorsements. Caitlin Clark reportedly signed a $28 million contract with Nike, but the players Association says it's ready to take a stand, saying we are ready to lead transformational change that goes beyond women's sports. The players and the league will have to sort out a new contract by the end of next season, or they risk a lockout and that stops play.
Coming up, the haunted house. That might be too haunted.
Plus, a possible new future for Playboy.
Hollywood Studios wants to make a movie of our podcast.
It's a fabulous cast.
Action. I'm nervous playing you. The fearlessness, the complexity. Oh, stop.
Unless you had more to say.
No, I don't need an algorithm to tell me that this is box office gold.
Only murders in the building streaming on Hulu and for bundle subscribers on Disney Plus.
Hi, my name is Patrice. I am a totally cool person with a disability who could do most anything.
It just said, would you like to be my wife? They're never gonna stop us from loving each other.
You're a single mom pretending to be a cop.
I am not pretending. I spot things that detectives miss.
I'm just out here. Super cop.
Attention, teachers. No child is to be sent to the principal's office today.
Kids, if you want to do a crime, now's the time. Happy first day of school. You better bring your daughter back.
When you're, like, four more of these. Yeah, we were robbed. Hey!
Buy three, get one free.
I'm gonna call your mother on you. Bring the rest back here, boy.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime. And they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
Reporting from the path of Hurricane Milton in Sarasota, Florida. I'm Victor Oquendo. Wherever the story is, we'll take you there. You're streaming ABC News Live.
Time to check the pulse. And we begin with a treasure trove of lithium right under America's nose.
Researchers say the state of Arkansas may be sitting on 19 million tons of lithium, which is used in rechargeable batteries, enough to meet the demand for the entire world.
The lithium will have to be extracted from an underground reservoir. Companies are trying to figure out a cost effective way to do just that. Next, Hugh Hefner's son wants to make Playboy the family business again.
His father founded the magazine back in 1953 and built it into a lifestyle brand before it mostly faded from public view. Well, now Cooper Hefner wants to buy it from the current owners for 100 million bucks. The company's valuation is about half that. The stock traded at around $50 per share in 2021, and it's now worth less than a dollar per share. Now to Tennessee and a twisted haunted house.
The place, referred to as a torture chamber under disguise, is back. McKinley manor has been the subject of a Hulu show and a criminal investigation. At one point, customers signed a 40 page waiver acknowledging they might experience waterboarding or other nightmares.
The owner has faced legal woes, but reports say it remains open. Next, we stay in Tennessee, this time for a close encounter with a bear.
A family's trip was interrupted when a bear made its way into their cabin in Gatlinburg. The mother of the visiting family screamed at the bear, telling it to get out, and it listened, but left with some treats.
We looked outside and it had the peanut butter. And, um, it also had a jelly spoon that we had left out. And then we looked at the table and it had eaten my son's breakfast.
Ah, yes. The old peanut butter and bear combo. Next.
Wednesday night.
Oh my God, are you kidding me? Oh no way. Don Quijote is here. What would you do Wednesday night?
What would you do if you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick cash?
He squirted. Watered down.
Oh, we would not do that.
I saw you. I'll testify.
Drama. Drama. I think we should break it now. What if people say it's none of your business?
If I told you what I'd say, you can't record it.
The question is, what would you do? Wednesday night at ten nine central on ABC.
Three. Two. One.
It's a 24 over seven life together.
It's not about the fear or the risk. It's about the love of flying. Three. Two. One. Go! Baby, we were born to run.
Since I was 16, playing live has been a deep and lasting part of who I am.
I grew up with Bruce, and he was the most introverted guy you'd ever met in your life. And now he's, like, the world's greatest entertainer. It blows my mind.
Time moves quickly when you are on the road, but it's too late to stop now.
Ho ho ho ho.
I did terrible things.
I hurt a lot of people.
I know who you are. Balls in the air is special. Yes. It's a touchdown. Yes.
What if God made me this way?
FX's American sports story. Aaron Hernandez. All new Tuesdays at Ten on FX. Stream on Hulu.
Check out more top Stories now. The election is just two weeks away. Vice President Harris and Liz Cheney made a bipartisan play for Republican voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Former President Trump focused on North Carolina, closing out the day with a pitch to Christian leaders. 15 million Americans have already voted, including a higher rate of Republicans than usual.
A teenager is due in court charged in the death of five people in Washington. The victims, including two adults and three kids, were found in a home near Seattle. No word on their relationship, but neighbors say a large family lived there.
New details about the Houston helicopter crash that killed four people, including a child. Pilots say the lights on a radio tower that the chopper hit have a history of not working. An FAA notice warned some of its lights were unserviceable.
Today's weather record high temperatures possible in the northeast. Unseasonable warmth stretches across the country. Rain possible in the northern plains.
Finally, the blind teenager taking on cross-country running.
He spoke to Danny New. You're doing.
Awesome. Keep going. Ash. It's pretty rare that 13 year old Ashton Dunford ever stops moving.
I like to go really fast and when I can.
The Utah native was born with underdeveloped optic nerves and is blind. However, at his first cross country race this season. Good job Ashton. You're almost there. You're almost there. That did not stop him from picking off people left and right. You were flying, man.
Yeah.
His mother, Hilda, shared this video of Ashton racing alongside his guide, runner, and millions of people quickly found it. One commenter writing I can't love this enough now. Ashton had been running track for years, but the journey to his cross-country debut began last summer when Hilda tried to run A5K with her son.
I thought I could be his guide, but I didn't realize how fast he was.
That's when she and her husband got in contact with the town to arrange for a high school cross-country runner to come sprint alongside Ashton during his races for the middle school team. The guide runner will wear a watch to update him on his pace, tell him when they're about to pass somebody and let him know when one of Utah's many giant hills are on the horizon.
They always are. So encouraging.
Of course, not surprisingly, Ashton has tried many sports over the years, like skiing and rappelling down a cliff, but it sounds like he has big goals when it comes to running.
I want to see if I can make it to the Olympics.
That'd be pretty cool. The Paralympics. Keep going.
You're doing good. And in the meantime, Ashton has a message for anyone out there who might be afraid to try something new.
Even though you do trip, and even though sometimes it's, like, scary. Yeah, you're scared you can still do it.
By the way, guys, Ashton also likes to act and has actually spent the last year taking horseback riding lessons because he got cast in a movie called if I Could Ride Too, where he plays a boy who was blind and rides horses. Guys, he's ready to learn anything.
And we can learn a lot from him as well that.
We can. An acting career already taking off. That's your Good morning, America first look.
Have a great day, everyone.
So the question is what.
Would you.
Do now on Wednesday nights on ABC?
It's Tuesday, October 22nd.
Was it leaked or stolen? We start here. The feds are investigating how intelligence about Israel went public.
The two documents were first posted on the telegram account belonging to an organization that supports Iran.
Either way, it's a bad look. Now does it change the calculus in the Middle East? Former President Trump tries to capitalize on improving poll numbers.
His campaign rhetoric has turned even more incendiary.
Now, his richest backer wants to give away money to supporters, and Texas Republicans challenged their own governor to free a man on death row.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice here.
Why? Decades old pseudoscience has left an entire state shaken. From ABC news. This is start here. I'm Brad Mielke. Hey, good to be back with you. As we continue what's becoming an incredibly busy week when Israel, almost by accident, killed the man they've been hunting for over a year, people around the world wondered if this might finally set the stage for a peace agreement in the Middle East.
Justice has.
Been served. You know, humanity is better off today than it was yesterday.
After all, if the genesis of this conflict is an attack by Hamas from Gaza and Gaza's in ruins, and now the leader of Hamas is dead, what else is left to do? Well, in the course of this war, Israel has become embroiled in so many fights on so many separate fronts that it almost seems impossible to extricate yourself all at once. And it's not just loose knit militant groups. Now, we live in a world where Iran itself has attacked Israel. Israel is still plotting a counterattack, and over the weekend, documents appeared on the messaging app telegram that looked an awful lot like classified intelligence. Well, yesterday, U.S. officials confirmed that investigations are underway into how these documents got out in the first place. Let's start the day with ABC's Louis Martinez, who covers the Pentagon. He's actually there right now. And, Louis, real quick, can you just remind us what these documents are and what's in them?
Brad, what we're talking about is two documents that both appear to be from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. This is the agency that essentially runs America's spy satellites, and these documents purport to show information gleaned from those satellites that shows the movements of Israeli weapons systems from one place to another. The quantities, what they might be used for, and essentially kind of tips off that. Yes, the Israelis are preparing for something if they want to, if they make that political decision to actually retaliate against Iran militarily. And so these documents got out. And one of the things that's really important is that, as you noted, the United States is trying to ascertain right now whether this is the result of a leak from inside or whether it's someone who had access from the outside. That would indicate a hack. Yeah.
I was going to say a leak would be something where somebody inside gives up documents kind of voluntarily. A hack is when an outside group comes in without any permission. Like no one's got permission to be in there. Do we know what happened here?
That's one of the things that officials are trying to figure out. One of the things that we've learned is that the two documents were first posted on the telegram account, belonging to an organization that supports Iran. Now, does that mean that Iran is behind the potential hack? I don't know, I think there might be a stretch right now, but that's what investigators are trying to figure out. But if the markings on the documents are legit, it means that it was shared not just with the US intelligence officials, but with other countries specifically, what's known as the Five Eyes. We're talking about Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Those five countries receive a lot of information from the United States, and in turn, we receive a lot of information from them in those documents that we've seen have those kind of markings. So that's something else that kind of needs to be looked at as well.
We're deeply concerned, and the president concerned about any leakage of classified information into the public domain.
And we heard as much from John Kirby, who is the spokesman for the National Security Council, on this issue, and that this isn't just tied to the white House or the Pentagon, that Congress is also involved.
Obviously, uh, he'll be very interested in hearing any mitigation measures and recommendations that come as a result of the investigative efforts and how to prevent it from happening again.
So what we have now is we've got the FBI along with the DoD, and they're both investigating how these documents got onto social media. And from there, they're going to take it and probably not tip their hand, because every official that we're talking to about this has been incredibly tight lipped. And I think that's one of the reasons is probably they don't want to compromise any potential investigation. Well, Louis.
So now that this information is out, I mean, assuming that this information is accurate, does this change the game plan for anyone, the US, for Israel, because we're still waiting on a response from them, right?
The last time we saw a major intelligence breach like this was with Jack Teixeira, with the discord leaks, and what we were told by intelligence officials at the time was those documents captured a specific moment in time. And so by the time they were leaked, they may have been already outdated. And that's one of the things that we have to consider with this scenario here. Okay. These are satellite images or the analysis of satellite images. Is it already too dated because they already came out a week ago. And what's happened in terms of Israel's calculus since then was was there were these preparations in advance of a political decision that may not have come already? And I think that's one of the things that we're really unclear of. And we have to look back and see whatever the United States is trying to do. They don't want this to be an all out war between Iran and Israel. One of the things that they're trying to do is just kind of influence Israel into what they call a proportional response by just hitting at military targets, don't hit Iran's nuclear facilities, don't hit Iran's oil facilities, something that could broaden this conflict.
But when you ask U.S. officials, their most recent comments are they're just pointing back to the Israelis.
Let the Israelis speak to, uh, if what, how and when, um, they decide to Take additional military action in response to Iran's October 1st attack. That's really for them to speak to.
When you hear what Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, he's also said, we're going to take that American council, but ultimately we're the ones that make the decisions.
Right. And whatever this attack from Israel ends up being, you know, there's going to be one. But how big will it be and when will it come? Is it days? Is it weeks? Is it months? And still no official answer on that yet either. Which is why some of these classified documents seem to be so revealing. All right. Louis Martinez at the Pentagon. Thank you.
Thanks, Fred.
Two weeks, two weeks. That is how much time is left before Election Day. And you can kind of feel the volume cranking up around the country.
In many, many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of him being president of the United States are brutally serious.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited the so-called Blue Wall yesterday. Like the entire blue Wall. She held events in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which, by the way, are all now dead heats in Fivethirtyeight's polling averages. Nevada appears to be even. North Carolina appears to be Trump plus one. Georgia Trump plus two. He's doing better in a lot of these battlegrounds than he was a week ago. And if you want a sense of who Harris is trying to court, well, you only had to look to her costar.
Every one of us in this election has a duty and an obligation to do what we know is right for the country, and that's to support Vice President Harris.
At each of these events. Harris was campaigning with Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman from the family once considered the arch nemesis of Democrats. And while there are lots of young progressive voters in these states asking Harris to make firmer commitments on Gaza or a Green New Deal, Harris has seemed to focus on centrist, even mainstream Republicans. You know, your Nikki Haley voters.
There are moments in the history of our country which challenge us, each of us, to really decide. Do we stand for those things that we talk about, including a particular country over party?
And to be clear, this is pretty normal election year stuff. You often hear about candidates pivoting to the center in October. Former President Donald Trump has downplayed the effects of abortion bans in red states, and, during a trip to North Carolina yesterday distanced himself from Mark Robinson, the controversial candidate for governor. He's already endorsed. But if that's what you'd expect from a normal campaign, well, it belies the fact that this is not a normal campaign. Harris has had one of the shortest presidential runs in modern history, and Trump continues to paint a stark vision of a second term. So let's hit the road with ABC senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, who's been on the campaign trail with the former president. She joins us from North Carolina. Now, Rachel, at this point this week, what is the message from the Trump team?
Well, former President Donald Trump. Lately, Brad has all been about drawing this very stark contrast, and it's one where he says that right now, voters have a choice between whether or not they want to continue with what he calls the incompetence of the Biden-Harris administration, or go back to the way things were for years before they were elected. But, Brad, in these final days until the election, his campaign rhetoric has turned even more incendiary.
Kamala will force doctors and parents to allow sex changes and genital mutilation of minor children. That's what they do.
He's painting a dark picture of the nation of an America that he believes is in decline. He's promising mass deportations for migrants out on the campaign trail, visiting parts of the country that have been ravaged and gutted by Hurricane Helene. But he's pushing false, debunked claims about FEMA and their response to the disaster.
And they spent money to bring these people into our country, and they don't have money to take care of the people from North Carolina and other states.
Those false claims and that kind of rhetoric have prompted threats against female workers, which the former president did not denounce when he was asked directly about it.
Well, I think you have to let people know how they're doing. If they were doing a great job. I think we should say that, too, because I think they should be rewarded. But if they're not doing, does that mean that if they're doing a poor job, we're supposed to not say it?
And then Brad, as he's going on this blitz through the battleground states that will ultimately decide this election, the former president has been making news, not necessarily for his campaign message or his vision for the country, any campaign promises, but instead for his vulgar comments, first about Vice President Kamala Harris. So you have to.
Tell Kamala Harris that you've had enough that you just can't take it anymore. We can't stand you. You're a vice president.
Then about former golf star Arnold Palmer.
This man was strong and tough and I refuse to say it. But when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there. They said, oh my God. That's unbelievable. I had to say it.
And Brad, in some ways in this final stretch, this campaign is about trolling Vice President Kamala Harris. The former president has been absolutely fixated on whether or not Vice President Kamala Harris ever worked at McDonald's.
Talk about the heat. It was so tough. She never worked at McDonald's. McDonald's just confirmed that again, by the way.
She never worked at McDonald's. So here you had Donald Trump. He was inside of a McDonald's in suburban Philadelphia. He was working the fry station, working the drive through window.
This is not a normal situation, is it? Huh?
Of course, this, like many campaign events, was staged, but the former president was even asked questions about policy, whether or not he would raise the minimum wage, which currently stands at $7.25. Trump didn't even give an answer. The Harris campaign ultimately pouncing on that. But Brad, I talked to Republicans on Capitol Hill and throughout the country. And they like when the former president talks about the message, when he stays focused on the issues, the economy, immigration, he's still leading Vice President Kamala Harris by pretty wide margins on those issues in the polls. It does raise some questions about whether or not this is a winning strategy in the final stretch, focused on vulgar language and these type of insults.
But Rachel, he's doing better in the last week than he was a week before. Right. So, I mean, at some point, does it become about like voters do appreciate the style as much as the substance or like the style tells you something about the candidate's substance. And like, maybe his advisers wanted him to talk about policy. That doesn't mean that voters do.
Yeah, yeah.
Brad and vibes on how they were feeling when it was Donald Trump in the white House, not President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. That has a lot to do with it. But, Brad, I have been all across this country talking to voters, and I'll tell you that pretty much everyone I talked to has their mind made up about Donald Trump. They have an opinion on Donald Trump, one way or the other, good or bad. More voters have questions about Vice President Kamala Harris. And when I talk to undecided voters, most of their questions are about her, not him. And they're still waiting on her to prove to them why she deserves their vote.
Which would actually track. Like you see, these numbers change drastically after Biden gets out of the race. That's all about Harris. You see you see numbers change after the convention. That's about Harris after the debate. That's all. This is all Harris stuff. It doesn't say as much about Donald Trump, even though he's the one whose policies are so out of the norm with the history of American politics. But before we go, Rachel, I wanted to ask you about one other thing, because as long as we're talking about, like, the enormous megaphone that some people have, I guess the only person with a megaphone quite like Trump's is Elon Musk. I mean, he's one of the richest men on earth. Now. He owns one of the biggest messaging platforms in the world. He's an avowed Trump supporter, and now he's using that to right like he wants to enter other Trump supporters in a sweepstakes for like $1 million if they sign a petition. What is he doing? And I guess, is it legal?
Yeah. So Donald Trump has the support of billionaire Elon Musk, the world's richest man. I hate.
Politics. But, but but the stakes are so high here that I have had no choice but to take a stand.
And like Donald Trump, he's been blitzing the battleground states as well. He has been in Pennsylvania. He has been doing a lot of campaign events.
So I have a surprise for you, which is that we are going to be awarding $1 million.
And so then suddenly you had Elon Musk making this pledge at his events, promising to give away $1 million a day to one person who signs his super PAC petition, and that is now raising new legal questions. We've talked to experts here at ABC news. They have told us what the law says. It says that it is illegal to give people money to vote or to register to vote. It is a federal crime. You have at least one Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania. He says that this is worth authorities actually looking into. We've also reached out to Elon Musk and his political organization. We have not heard back, Brad.
And again, he's saying, I'm not giving you money to register, but only registered voters are allowed to sign this petition and potentially get $1 million. It really bizarre, especially just because of what a powerful engine Twitter or X has become with Musk at the helm. All right, Rachel Scott there on the campaign trail right now. Thank you. Thanks, Brad. Almost a month ago today, a man named Marcellus Williams was executed in Missouri.
At 6:01 p.m., the lethal injection of pentobarbital was administered. At 6:10 p.m., Marcellus Williams was pronounced dead.
20 inmates have been put to death across the U.S. this year. But what made this case so unique was that the prosecutor's office in Missouri that put him on death row had begged judges since to take him off of it. They no longer believed he had gotten a fair trial. Back in the day. Williams had professed his innocence throughout the family of the murder victim in this case didn't want him to die. And yet the courts and the governor himself refused to intervene.
Two decades of judicial proceedings and more than 15 judicial hearings upheld his guilty conviction.
Well, now another man is scheduled to be executed, this time in Texas. Again, this inmate has professed his innocence again. Advocates say he's been wrongfully convicted. And again, a conservative governor has dismissed his pleas for a pardon. But this time, his appeals have gotten him a brief respite. And yesterday, some of those around him got to make his case to the Texas legislature. Let's go to ABC's chief national correspondent, Matt Gutman, who's been reporting on all the twists and turns of this story. Because, Matt, this all revolves around this phenomenon called shaken baby syndrome. This idea that there are parents out there, particularly fathers, who might shake their child to death in a fit of rage. And for years, when a baby died, when there were signs of brain trauma but few other clues, people would accuse the father of shaking his baby to death. Many experts now say that's so rare that it would happen without lots of accompanying evidence. So many of these children probably died of other medical conditions, right?
This guy was supposed to be executed five days ago. I think what's happening now and just.
20 minutes.
Before that execution, Brad, he got a stay. And that was the subpoena by the Texas legislature demanding that he appear before them. And basically they had come together from the left, from the right, Republicans, Democrats, with this very broad bipartisan appeal to say we cannot let this what they call the miscarriage of justice happen.
Members of the far left and members of the far right and everyone in between in the Texas House that have looked at this and know that this case.
Has too much shadow of a doubt for it to move forward.
Basically every court in the land is essentially upheld. This execution, including the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to take the case. It's been set up to appeal. And so this was a Hail Mary, a last ditch effort to try to save this man's life. And it worked. For five days.
While he is.
Still breathing, there's still time to bring the truth to light. That is part of what the hearing on Monday is hoping to hear. And we needed Robert to be there as a firsthand account. And he was.
Supposed to appear before this bipartisan legislative committee. And on the day that he was supposed to appear, the attorney general of Texas, Paxton said, okay, no, you know, we think it's good enough that he appears via video and not in person. And his supporters said, no, he's got autism. That is going to prejudice the way people view him, and we need him to appear in person. That was the deal. So yesterday they continued to negotiate. It went late into the night, and there is still a chance that he might be able to meet with the legislative committee. It might happen in death row. They might come to him and they might be able to hear his testimony. But this is a case that has been bedeviled by legal questions since the very start. So back in 2002, Robert Robertson is charged with the murder of his nearly two year old daughter, Nikki. He's accused of essentially shaking her to death, something that they called shaken baby syndrome. They said that there was blunt force trauma as well.
But one of the things that the jury never heard is that Nikki had a long history of ailments.
She had an unidentified respiratory infection that included double pneumonia, both viral and bacterial.
She had been to the hospital over 40 times for various pulmonary issues before she was admitted in the time when she was found to be dead. I don't want.
To die, but I'm not afraid. Afraid of dying? Why? Why? I know I'm going to heaven.
Robertson, who was brought in, was autistic. They didn't know that at the time. He was undiagnosed. And so police and investigators, when they first started talking to him, said, oh, this guy isn't behaving the way an innocent man behaves. And so they had this prejudice against him.
Mr. Robertson had never received any evaluation, diagnosis or services for autism. Therefore, no one told the jury that his lack of emotional display and his routinized actions, his labored stammer, were products of his disability. Jurors were told to judge him as an unfeeling liar, and they heard no evidence to contextualize his responses in.
Subsequent court cases, and his subsequent lawyers realized that no, this is not the whole story. The original jury did not know that shaken baby syndrome has since been debunked. It's basically junk science.
I'll be forever haunted by my participation in his prosecution, his arrest and prosecution. He is an innocent man.
The lead detective on the case, has now been one of the main protectors and defendants of Robertson's case, saying, no, we got it wrong. Please believe us. A juror on the case testified yesterday. She said if I had known those things that I now know, I never would have voted to convict him.
Knowing what you know now. Do you believe Robert Robertson murdered his daughter, Nikki? No. How strongly do you feel about that?
100%.
And now he could be sentenced to death? No, this would be a miscarriage of justice. And it wasn't just them. It was Doctor Phil who came on and said, I've interviewed this man. This is not a case that you want to bring to execution.
They didn't see and hear everything they needed to see and hear to render a just verdict. Do you think.
That's even a debatable question?
Not even close.
John Grisham, the famous legal writer, has come on and said the same thing. All of this happening yesterday in this testimony before the legislative committee that Robertson himself couldn't attend. And so at this point, legally, it's in the hands of the governor, because, you know, the legislative committee can't really take it that far.
Yeah. What would the potential next steps be for Roberson?
He does not have a lot of legal recourse. He does not have a lot of legislative recourse. Right. They can only subpoena him and basically delay the inevitable by having him appear before a committee.
As a member who is supportive of the death penalty. I also believe that if we are going to execute people in the state of Texas, we have to be sure at the highest level that we can that that person committed this crime.
Right now, the greatest power rests in the hands of Governor Abbott, who can make a decision to commute this execution or to pardon him, or to call for a new trial. At this point, he hasn't done so. He seems to be, I think, waiting to see which way the wind blows on this case.
More broadly, Matt, does this also raise questions about death penalty cases in general, because it's clear that you've got juries and you've got judges and you got prosecutors that can be influenced by theories and perhaps pseudoscience that has later been debunked. I mean, how concerning is that across the board?
I think it's very concerning across the board. And I think we're seeing incidents like these across the country. And I think that's why there has been so much money given to groups like the Innocence Project, which have spent a lot of time and a lot of effort trying to exonerate people who've been wrongfully convicted.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice.
Here, or people who have been convicted based on suspicious circumstances or junk science in this case. In fact, the state of Texas in 2013 passed a junk science law to prevent a case just like this from happening. And here we are, right?
Here we are. And remarkable, too, that this is really a bipartisan effort by the Texas legislature. You have Republicans as well as Democrats, sort of bucking the Republican governor and Republican attorney general on this issue. but we'll see what actually happens to this man's fate. All right. Matt Gutman, our chief national correspondent. Thank you. Thanks, Brad. And one last thing. When you're dropping off someone at the airport, what kind of drop off person are you? Are you the mushy one who has to have a meaningful connection with your loved one before they soar off into the sky? Or are you maybe all business? You watch a person get their bag and you peel out as soon as they close the trunk. Well, recently, an airport in New Zealand has told its customers to toughen up. The Dunedin airport now has signs out in front along the curb, telling passengers they're limited to three minute hugs. That's right. No endless embraces, no long family prayers together on the curb.
No love Actually montages for you. But that's the point. The airport needs cars to keep moving. The signs encourage people to use the parking lot for, quote, fonder farewells. This drew outrage from travelers online calling the signs heartless and inhumane. One headline declared it was time to catch flights, not feelings. But the airport CEO has said this was meant to be a playful reminder that curbside goodbyes are not your only option. In fact, he told Radio New Zealand that there are studies showing all you need is a 22nd hug to release oxytocin, our so-called love hormone. Everything else, apparently, is overkill. Now, those of you who live near big airports might be thinking, who are you people that park curbside for more than three minutes? At many large airports, there are strict rules against waiting for passengers before they have arrived on the curb.
With our traffic increasing with the number of passengers, we just can't allow vehicles to park and wait at others.
You've got security and police shouting at you to hurry up or even rushing you with whistles. And I didn't know this. In the UK, home of congestion pricing, most airports will charge you a fee to even drive up to the curb. They call it a kiss and fly fee. They recently increased it up to a pound per minute at some airports. Everyone else is expected to get off at a parking lot or a train station and take mass transit inside. The bottom line is, if you're a hugger, you might pay the price. This is when dude hugs can help because you hug two pats on the back brake. Five seconds max never fails New Zealand. You can practice your dude hugs. Many thanks to Jay O'Brien and Anne Flaherty for filling in the last few days so I could see some family. Also, thanks to Anne for suggesting some Halloween costumes in her. One last thing, you are what you eat. So yeah, I think a burrito costume for me has to be the move.
This year I'm Brad Mielke. I'll see you tomorrow.
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Right now on Good Morning America. First look, the race for president and a new push by former Republican officials and lawmakers to investigate Elon Musk and his million dollar giveaway to registered voters. Is he violating election law?
Meanwhile, Trump and Harris on the campaign trail, tackling everything from taxes to transgender rights. The new poll from each battleground state.
Extreme fall weather from drought to record heat. The conditions causing concern from coast to coast.
A new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. The man convicted in a shaken baby death faces a new hurdle but gets some help from Doctor Phil.
Caught on camera. The deadly crash at this popular air show. The pilot's connection to Top Gun.
A new warning to parents about pink cocaine after it was reportedly found in One Direction singer Liam Payne's system following his death.
Tough times in the restaurant industry. The long running chain now considering bankruptcy.
Plus, the new battle for higher salaries in the WNBA. What players are now demanding.
And later, a possible new future for Playboy.
From ABC news. This is good morning America. First look.
Good Tuesday morning everyone. I'm Andrew Dymburt.
Happy Tuesday. I'm Rhiannon ally. We begin with the presidential race. Election day now just two weeks from today.
Former President Trump focusing on tax cuts and transgender rights at his latest rally. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is focusing on winning over Republicans unhappy with Trump. Another major headline involves Elon Musk and a new push to investigate his million dollar giveaway to voters. ABC's Perry Russom has details. Perry. Good morning. Andrew, good.
Morning to you. Some high profile Republicans accused Elon Musk of violating federal voting laws, which could potentially carry a five year prison sentence.
This morning, former Republican officials and lawmakers are calling.
On Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Elon Musk after the billionaire Trump supporter announced $1 million giveaways to random voters in swing states for signing his petition.
All you have to do is sign a petition in support of the Constitution.
Last night, Musk.
Announcing the.
Third winner in as.
Many days, Shannon.
From Pennsylvania, and a letter obtained by The Washington Post.
11 former.
Republican officials.
Argue Musk is essentially bribing people to register, writing the prizes are framed as payments for signing a petition, but many of the payments are restricted to registered voters, so anyone who wishes to get paid must first register.
Make sure you get out and cast your vote.
Early voting is underway in nearly every state. One survey finds 47% of early votes have been cast by Democrats, 33% by Republicans.
Vice President Kamala Harris holding events in three.
Swing states with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
If you think about how you conduct, you know, your life outside of politics, how we all conduct our everyday lives, those are the kinds of people that you trust. Those are the kinds of people you can work with. Like, if you wouldn't, if you wouldn't hire somebody to babysit your kids, like, you shouldn't make that guy the president of the United States.
And that's Maria Shriver.
Hosting the event in Michigan, making.
This admission about predetermined questions. Are we going to be.
Able to answer questions?
You're not. Unfortunately, we have some predetermined questions, and I hopefully I'll be able to ask some of the questions that might be in your head I hope so.
The Trump campaign calling.
It Kamala's fake town hall with loser.
Warhawk Liz.
Cheney. Trump has also used predetermined questions during some of his town halls. Harris telling Shriver she wakes up in the middle of the night from the stress of the election. Shriver with these.
Suggestions.
Everybody I talked to says, I'm meditating. I'm doing yoga. I'm doing. I'm so anxious. I just don't even know. I'm eating gummies, all kinds of things. You know, what are you doing? What are you doing? Not eating gummies.
Trump in North Carolina yesterday, surveying storm damage.
And speaking to.
Supporters in.
Greenville.
This election is a choice between whether we will have a four. Think of this four more years. I could could you stand it? It's four more years of incompetence and stupidity and failure and disaster, or whether we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country.
Trump railing against undocumented.
Migrants, referencing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which permitted the arrest, imprisonment and deportation of non-U.S. citizens during wartime.
That's when we had real politicians that said, we're not going to play games. We have to go back to 1798.
Trump also pushing his economic proposals, which include tariffs on imported goods and eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime. A new analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget warns Social Security could run out of money within six years under Trump's policies. The committee says Harris's economic plan would have minimal impact on Social Security. Trump also.
Making.
Transgender rights an issue on the campaign trail, telling a crowd of Christian voters, if elected, he would address trans rights. On day one.
I will take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two genders, male and female. I will keep men out of women's sports.
And a new poll shows a tight race in every battleground state. Harris has the edge in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump in Arizona and North Carolina. Each state is within the margin of error. Rhiannon.
It's going to be a close one. Perry. Thank you for that. Breaking overnight, flames lit up the sky in Dallas as crews fought a fire at a wood pallet manufacturing plant near Love Field. Look at this video here. Power was out in the surrounding area as the fire possibly spread to a nearby substation. There is no immediate word on any injuries. We turn now to the historic weather affecting people really from coast to coast. An autumn drought causing problems from new Jersey all the way to California. Farmers in the northeast are setting up sprinklers in late October, fighting unusually dry conditions and record heat. 77% of the mainland U.S. is abnormally dry and nearly half is officially in a drought. These cities are among those seeing their driest autumn so far on record. Minneapolis has less than an inch. It usually gets nearly five inches by this point in the season. Austin, Texas usually sees nearly six inches but has received less than one tenth of an inch. The problem is made worse by unseasonable temperatures.
Even parts of new Jersey could get into the mid 80s today. From a.
Selfish point of.
View, I'm enjoying the weather.
Leaf peepers headed to this new Jersey farm can pick a pumpkin, but they're out of luck at the orchard. It halted apple picking early this year due to concerns about the dry conditions. The owner is hoping for sustained rain.
It's not going to be 1in or 2in. It's going to have to be several inches spread out through a couple of days.
In the West. Wildfire concerns this recent fire, prompting 500 Oakland, California residents to evacuate in Wyoming. The Elk Fire is so big it can be seen burning from space and in the plains, whipping winds fueling this fire. In Nebraska, farmers were told to stop harvesting until the winds subsided. Incredible video there. Forecasters say parts of the northeast and the Midwest could get a break from these conditions in the next few months, but areas of the plains and the south will stay dry.
A new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. A man convicted in the shaken baby death of his daughter is facing a new hurdle. Robert Roberson, the first person facing execution in a case of shaken baby syndrome, was supposed to appear yesterday before a committee of state lawmakers to make a rare appeal for clemency. But that did not happen.
I'm very disappointed to say I don't believe that will happen today.
The attorney general said Roberson could testify only via video, not in person at the Capitol. But lawmakers decided against a virtual appearance, citing his autism and communication challenges. Instead, his high profile supporters, including Doctor Phil. Were there fighting to save Roberson's life.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice here. We start executing people in Texas, absent due process, absent fair trial. We are going down a really dangerous road.
But the jury in the box and let's have a fair trial. That's all we're asking for.
Last Thursday, Roberson's execution for the 2002 death of his two year old daughter, Nikki, was halted at the last moment by the Texas Supreme Court amid new evidence in the case. His lawyers argue that shaken baby syndrome has now been debunked, and they claim there's evidence Nikki actually died from pneumonia complications.
Texas has on its book a law that allows that one. Science has shown that something is now junk, or it is no longer applicable that anyone convicted under that old science can use the law as a vehicle to have their trial either retried or have the issues re-examined once an.
Execution is postponed in Texas. It cannot be rescheduled for 90 days. In the meantime, it's up to that committee of lawmakers to determine what happens next.
Now, until then, there will be a court battle about whether or not he appears for this, this testimony for the House and person. Also, there will be a debate as to whether or not this is something that should receive a new trial.
A juror from Roberson's trial also testified yesterday that she would not have voted to convict him, given the new evidence.
Dramatic new video from the Middle East. A woman was rescued in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike left her trapped in the rubble of her home for five days. The airstrikes have been aimed at wiping out Hamas fighters. Palestinian officials say more than 250,000 homes have been destroyed. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel today hoping to revive ceasefire efforts.
Sources say former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer. It's said to be a form of bone marrow cancer. Weinstein is reportedly receiving treatment in jail here in New York. He's being prosecuted again for sex crimes. Weinstein had emergency heart surgery last month.
It is time now for your Tuesday forecast. Looking at the radar now, the only threat of rain today is in the Northern Plains. A cold front is moving in, bringing a chance for showers. And new video shows the aftermath of extreme flooding in Roswell, New Mexico. Vehicles that were swept away were dropped by fast moving creeks. Others were wedged against bridges. At least two people died. Hundreds of homes there were damaged. And checking today's high temperatures. Unseasonably warm from the southwest all the way to the northeast. Cool in the northwest. 79 in New York 82. In D.C..
Coming up, the famous surfer killed by a swordfish.
Also ahead, a new warning to parents about pink cocaine after it was found in One Direction singer Liam Payne's system after his death.
And later the one state apparently sitting on a gold mine. Only the gold in this case is lithium.
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In La Porte, Texas, I'm Mireya Villarreal, just three blocks away from a raging inferno. Wherever the story is, we'll take you there. You're streaming ABC News Live.
This body camera video shows a man being rescued from the top of a 250 foot radio tower near Minneapolis. Officers had to use ropes to climb up and get him down. One officer said after this rescue, he won't need to work out for months. No word why the 51 year old man was up there.
A freak accident has claimed the life of a well-known surfer. 36 year old Julia Manfrini was surfing in Indonesia when she was speared by a swordfish, suffering a two inch deep wound. She was known for her online travel company, which focused on surfing.
New details about the death of One Direction singer Liam Payne. His autopsy is shining a spotlight on pink cocaine. A former DEA agent is sounding the alarm about a designer drug making headlines in recent days called Pink Cocaine.
It's been in the United States for a little while now.
Not it hasn't been as popular as it's becoming now.
An autopsy has revealed former One Direction singer Liam Payne had multiple drugs in his system, including pink cocaine, when he plunged off a hotel balcony in Argentina last week, dying at the age of 31. The drug has also been linked to rapper Sean Diddy Combs and a lawsuit filed by his former music producer, who claims it was required that all of Diddy's employees, from the butler to the housekeepers. Walk around with a pouch filled with drugs, including Tootsie. Another name for pink cocaine. Despite its name, there's often no cocaine in the mix of drugs, which acts as both a stimulant and depressant.
The first piece that we almost always see in pink or pink cocaine is ketamine, a dissociative drug, something that makes people feel like they're detached from reality. The second component is a psychedelic.
Public health officials are warning parents that designer drug, with its bright color, is growing in popularity among teens and young adults.
No matter where you live and however isolated you think you are from street drugs. Now, with social media, with the smartphone, everyone lives in an open air drug market.
The drug targets teens and young adults with its strawberry flavor and bright color from food coloring.
Really scary stuff coming up. The deadly crash at a popular air show. The pilot's connection to the movie Top Gun.
Also ahead, a fight for higher salaries in the WNBA.
The ship is heaven.
There should be no guilt on a pleasure cruise. Doctor, it's your job.
To keep everybody alive.
No pulse. She's in v-fib.
One. Two. Three. Clear. I have a pulse.
You're gonna be okay.
Wait a second, wait a minute. Looks like there's three people coming down the river. These are the last lands. What is this? It's explosives. These are these dynamite blasts down here.
We have to go. What's the gas?
The national parks around the world. This area is all right now. Cartel run. Gold mine. That have to be saved.
Attention, teachers. No child.
Is to be sent to the principal's.
Office today.
Kid, if you want to do crime, now's the time. Happy first day of school. Girl game. You better bring your big girl back.
Wonder like four more of these. Yeah, we were robbed. Hey!
Buy three, get one free. I'm gonna call your mother on you. Bring the rest back here, boy.
Then.
When you're 61 years old, you have very few opportunities to change your life. This time, I have to be ready for everything. This is about everybody like me. The only thing you see, your future. Which is not what I felt like for a really long time. Cause you're Every. I don't feel invisible now to me.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime, and they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be imprisoned until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
An air show crash has taken the life of a well-known stunt pilot who helped the cast of the latest Top Gun movie. Chuck Coleman was killed Sunday at an airport in New Mexico. Coleman trained Miles teller, preparing him to fly in fighter jets for Tom Cruise's movie. He was 73 years old.
More restaurant chains are feeling the financial crunch, restaurants are on track to declare the most bankruptcies in decades, not counting the pandemic. TGI Friday's is the latest to reportedly prepare for chapter 11 rising costs a major factor.
Now to women's sports and a new fight for higher pay.
The New York Liberty are WNBA champions.
Just one day after the New York Liberty won the WNBA championship. A major decision from the league's players.
Breaking news the.
Players union opting out of its collective bargaining agreement early to demand higher pay and better training facilities. Here's Clark. That one rattles through. Women's basketball just enjoyed a record smashing year. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving viewership to all time highs. And a new media rights deal could earn the league $200 million per year.
Increases in attendance by 48%. Increases in merchandise sales by 600% compared to last year.
But the league's.
Big stars are not earning big money. Clark and Reese made about $70,000 salaries in their rookie season.
I just hope y'all know the WNBA don't pay my bills at all.
For comparison, the number one draft pick in the NBA last year made more than $12 million in his rookie season. The highest earning WNBA player makes about 2% of that. The president of the players association says opting out of the contract isn't just about bigger paychecks, it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built. Many players compete overseas in the off season to boost their income. Others cash in on endorsements. Caitlin Clark reportedly signed a $28 million contract with Nike, but the Players Association says it's ready to take a stand, saying we are ready to lead transformational change that goes beyond women's sports. The players and the league will have to sort out a new contract by the end of next season, or they risk a lockout and that stops play.
Coming up the haunted house that might be too haunted.
Plus a possible new future for Playboy.
Three. Two. One.
It's a 24 over seven live together.
It's not about the fear or the risk. It's about the love of flying. Three. Two. One.
911 is one of the most compelling and.
Explosive shows on television.
I love you.
Tell me in person.
911 Thursdays on ABC. I love this version of me.
America's number.
One most watched.
Daytime talk show is ABC's The.
View. You all heard it here first. This is going to be must see TV. And so much could happen.
That's why it's called the what? The view.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime. And they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
I did terrible things. I hurt a lot of people.
I know who you are. Balls in the air is special. Yes! It's a touchdown.
What if God made me this way?
FX's American sports story. Aaron Hernandez. All new Tuesdays at Ten on FX. Stream on Hulu.
Reporting from the path of Hurricane Helene in Tampa, Florida. I'm Reena Roy. Wherever the story is, we'll take you there. You're streaming ABC News Live.
Time to check the pulse. And we begin with a treasure trove of lithium right under America's nose.
Researchers say the state of Arkansas may be sitting on 19 million tons of lithium, which is used in rechargeable batteries, enough to meet the demand for the entire world.
The lithium will have to be extracted from an underground reservoir. Companies are trying to figure out a cost effective way to do just that. Next, Hugh Hefner's son wants to make Playboy the family business again.
His father founded the magazine back in 1953 and built it into a lifestyle brand before it mostly faded from public view. Well, now Cooper Hefner wants to buy it from the current owners for 100 million bucks. The company's valuation is about half that. The stock traded at around $50 per share in 2021, and it's now worth less than a dollar per share. Now to Tennessee and a twisted haunted house.
The place, referred to as a torture chamber under disguise, is back. McKinley manor has been the subject of a Hulu show and a criminal investigation. At one point, customers signed a 40 page waiver acknowledging they might experience waterboarding or other nightmares.
The owner has faced legal woes, but reports say it remains open. Next, we stay in Tennessee, this time for a close encounter with a bear.
A family's trip was interrupted when a bear made its way into their cabin in Gatlinburg. The mother of the visiting family screamed at the bear, telling it to get out, and it listened, but left with some treats.
We looked outside and it had the peanut butter. And, um, it also had a jelly spoon that we had left out. And then we looked at the table and it had eaten my son's breakfast.
Ah, yes. The old peanut butter and bear combo.
Trick or treat.
When I flick this switch.
It'll be a horrible noise and a terrible.
Odor. Will it hurt? Pain like you've never known. Oh.
This is risky. I am much satisfied.
What? Are you scared?
This is happiness. We love Halloween.
Hahahahaha! Got me.
He's a bit silly.
Turning the machine off. Do you feel good?
Hollywood Studios wants to make a movie of our podcast.
It's a fabulous cast.
Actually. I'm nervous playing you. The fearlessness, the complexity. Oh, stop.
Unless you had more to say.
No, I don't need an algorithm to tell me that this is box office gold.
Only murders in the building streaming on Hulu and for bundle subscribers on Disney+.
Tramps like us, baby, we were born to run.
Since I was 16, playing live has been a deep and lasting part of who I am.
I grew up with Bruce, and he was the most introverted guy you'd ever met in your life. And now he's like the world's greatest entertainer. It blows my mind.
Time moves quickly when you are on the road, but it's too late to stop now.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime, and they were raised in a house of hate. When can we as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
More top stories. Now the election is just two weeks away. Vice President Harris and Liz Cheney made a bipartisan play for Republican voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Former President Trump focused on North Carolina, closing out the day with a pitch to Christian leaders. 15 million Americans have already voted, including a higher rate of Republicans than usual.
A teenager is due in court charged in the death of five people in Washington. The victims, including two adults and three kids, were found in a home near Seattle. No word on their relationship, but neighbors say a large family lived there.
New details about the Houston helicopter crash that killed four people, including a child. Pilots say the lights on a radio tower that the chopper hit have a history of not working. An FAA notice warned some of its lights were unserviceable.
Today's weather record high temperatures possible in the northeast. Unseasonable warmth stretches across the country. Rain possible in the northern plains.
Finally, the blind teenager taking on cross-country running.
He spoke to Danny New. You're doing.
Awesome. Keep going. Ash. It's pretty rare that 13 year old Ashton Dunford ever stops moving.
I like to go really fast and when I can.
The Utah native was born with underdeveloped optic nerves and is blind. However, at his first cross country race this season. Good job Ashton. You're almost there. You're almost there. That did not stop him from picking off people left and right.
You were flying, man. Yeah.
His mother, Hilda, shared this video of Ashton racing alongside his guide, runner, and millions of people quickly found it. One commenter writing I can't love this enough now. Ashton had been running track for years, but the journey to his cross-country. Debut began last summer when Hilda tried to run A5K with her son.
I thought I could be his guide, but I didn't realize how fast he was.
That's when she and her husband got in contact with the town to arrange for a high school cross-country runner to come sprint alongside Ashton during his races for the middle school team. The guide runner will wear a watch to update him on his pace, tell him when they're about to pass somebody and let him know when one of Utah's many giant hills are on the horizon.
They always are so encouraging.
Of course, not surprisingly, Ashton has tried many sports over the years, like skiing and rappelling down a cliff, but it sounds like he has big goals when it comes to running.
I want to see if I can make it to the Olympics.
That'd be pretty cool. The Paralympics. Keep going.
You're doing good. And in the meantime, Ashton has a message for anyone out there who might be afraid to try something new.
Even though you do try. And even though sometimes it's like you're scared. Yeah. You're scared. You can still do it.
By the way, guys, Ashton also likes to act and has actually spent the last year taking horseback riding lessons because he got cast in a movie called if I Could Ride Too, where he plays a boy who was blind and rides horses. Guys, he's ready to learn anything.
And we can learn a lot from him as well that.
We can. An acting career already taking off. That's your Good morning, America first look.
Have a great day, everyone.
So the question is what would you.
Do now on Wednesday nights on ABC?
It's Tuesday, October 22nd. Was it leaked or stolen? We start here. The feds are investigating how intelligence about Israel went public.
The two documents were first posted on the telegram account belonging to an organization that supports Iran.
Either way, it's a bad look. Now, does it change the calculus in the Middle East? Former President Trump tries to capitalize on improving poll numbers.
His campaign rhetoric has turned even more incendiary.
Now his richest backer wants to give away money to supporters, and Texas Republicans challenged their own governor to free a man on death row.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice here.
Why? Decades old pseudoscience has left an entire state shaken. From ABC news. This is start here. I'm Brad Mielke. Hey, good to be back with you. As we continue what's becoming an incredibly busy week, when Israel, almost by accident, killed the man they've been hunting for over a year, people around the world wondered if this might finally set the stage for a peace agreement in the Middle East.
Justice has been.
Served. You know, humanity is better off today than it was yesterday.
After all, if the genesis of this conflict is an attack by Hamas from Gaza and Gaza's in ruins, and now the leader of Hamas is dead, what else is left to do? Well, in the course of this war, Israel has become embroiled in so many fights on so many separate fronts that it almost seems impossible to extricate yourself all at once. And it's not just loose knit militant groups. Now, we live in a world where Iran itself has attacked Israel. Israel is still plotting a counterattack, and over the weekend, documents appeared on the messaging app telegram that looked an awful lot like classified intelligence. Well, yesterday, U.S. officials confirmed that investigations are underway into how these documents got out in the first place. Let's start the day with ABC's Louis Martinez, who covers the Pentagon. He's actually there right now. And, Louis, real quick, can you just remind us what these documents are and what's in them?
Brad, what we're talking about is two documents that both appear to be from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. This is the agency that essentially runs America's spy satellites, and these documents purport to show information gleaned from those satellites that shows the movements of Israeli weapons systems from one place to another. The quantities, what they might be used for, and essentially kind of tips off that. Yes, the Israelis are preparing for something if they want to, if they make that political decision to actually retaliate against Iran militarily. And so these documents got out. And one of the things that's really important is that, as you noted, the United States is trying to ascertain right now whether this is the result of a leak from inside or whether it's someone who had access from the outside. That would indicate a hack.
Yeah. I was going to say a leak would be something where somebody inside gives up documents kind of voluntarily. A hack is when an outside group comes in without any permission. Like no one's got permission to be in there. Do we know what happened here?
That's one of the things that officials are trying to figure out. One of the things that we've learned is that the two documents were first posted on the telegram account, belonging to an organization that supports Iran. Now, does that mean that Iran is behind the potential hack? I don't know, I think there might be a stretch right now, but that's what investigators are trying to figure out. But if the markings on the documents are legit, it means that it was shared not just with the US intelligence officials, but with other countries specifically, what's known as the Five Eyes. We're talking about Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Those five countries receive a lot of information from the United States, and in turn, we receive a lot of information from them in those documents that we've seen have those kind of markings. So that's something else that kind of needs to be looked at as well.
We're deeply concerned, and the president is concerned about any leakage of classified information into the public domain.
And we heard as much from John Kirby, who is the spokesman for the National Security Council, on this issue, and that this isn't just tied to the white House or the Pentagon, that Congress is also involved.
Obviously, the he'll be very interested in hearing any mitigation measures and recommendations that come as a result of the investigative efforts and how to prevent it from happening again.
So what we have now is we've got the FBI along with the DoD, and they're both investigating how these documents got onto social media. And from there, they're going to take it and probably not tip their hand, because every official that we're talking to about this has been incredibly tight lipped. And I think that's one of the reasons is probably they don't want to compromise any potential investigation.
Well, Louis, so now that this information is out, I mean, assuming that this information is accurate, does this change the game plan for anyone, the U.S., for Israel, because we're still waiting on a response from them, right?
The last time we saw a major intelligence breach like this was with Jack Teixeira, with the discord leaks, and what we were told by intelligence officials at the time was those documents captured a specific moment in time. And so by the time they were leaked, they may have been already outdated. And that's one of the things that we have to consider with this scenario here. Okay. These are satellite imagery or the analysis of satellite images. Is it already too dated because they already came out a week ago. And what's happened in terms of Israel's calculus since then was was were these preparations in advance of a political decision that may not have come already? And I think that's one of the things that we're really unclear of, and we have to look back and see whatever the United States is trying to do. They don't want this to be an all out war between Iran and Israel. One of the things that they're trying to do is just kind of influence Israel into what they call a proportional response by just hitting at military targets, don't hit Iran's nuclear facilities, don't hit Iran's oil facilities, something that could broaden this conflict.
But when you ask U.S. officials, their most recent comments are they're just pointing back to the Israelis.
All of the Israelis speak to, uh, if what, how and when, um, they decide to take additional military action in response to Iran's October 1st attack. That's really for them to speak to.
When you hear what Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, he's also said, we're going to take that American council, but ultimately we're the ones that make the decisions.
Right. And whatever this attack from Israel ends up being, you know, there's going to be one. But how big will it be and when will it come? Is it days? Is it weeks? Is it months? And still no official answer on that yet either. Which is why some of these classified documents seem to be so revealing. All right. Louis Martinez at the Pentagon. Thank you.
Thanks, Fred.
Two weeks, two weeks. That is how much time is left before Election Day. And you can kind of feel the volume cranking up around the country.
In many, many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of him being president of the United States are brutally serious.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited the so-called Blue Wall yesterday Like the entire blue wall, she held events in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which, by the way, are all now dead heats in Fivethirtyeight's polling averages. Nevada appears to be even. North Carolina appears to be Trump plus one. Georgia Trump plus two. He's doing better in a lot of these battlegrounds than he was a week ago. And if you want a sense of who Harris is trying to court, well, you only had to look to her costar.
Every one of us in this election has a duty and an obligation to do what we know is right for the country, and that's to support Vice President Harris.
At each of these events. Harris was campaigning with Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman from the family once considered the arch nemesis of Democrats. And while there are lots of young progressive voters in these states asking Harris to make firmer commitments on Gaza or a Green New Deal, Harris has seemed to focus on centrists, even mainstream Republicans. You know, your Nikki Haley voters.
There are moments in the history of our country which challenge us, each of us, to really decide. Do we stand for those things that we talk about, including a particular country over party?
And to be clear, this is pretty normal election year stuff. You often hear about candidates pivoting to the center in October, former President Donald Trump has downplayed the effects of abortion bans in red states, and, during a trip to North Carolina yesterday distanced himself from Mark Robinson, the controversial candidate for governor. He's already endorsed. But if that's what you'd expect from a normal campaign, well, it belies the fact that this is not a normal campaign. Harris has had one of the shortest presidential runs in modern history, and Trump continues to paint a stark vision of a second term. So let's hit the road with ABC senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, who's been on the campaign trail with the former president. She joins us from North Carolina now. Rachel, at this point this week, what is the message from the Trump team?
Former President Donald Trump lately, Brad has all been about drawing this very stark contrast. And it's one where he says that right now, voters have a choice between whether or not they want to continue with what he calls the incompetence of the Biden-Harris administration, or go back to the way things were for years before they were elected. But, Brad, in these final days until the election, his campaign rhetoric has turned even more incendiary.
Kamala will force doctors and parents to allow sex changes and genital mutilation of minor children. That's what they do.
He's painting a dark picture of the nation of an America that he believes is in decline. He's promising mass deportations for migrants out on the campaign trail, visiting parts of the country that have been ravaged and gutted by Hurricane Helene. But he's pushing false, debunked claims about FEMA and their response to the disaster.
And they spent money to bring these people into our country, and they don't have money to take care of the people from North Carolina and other states.
Those false claims and that kind of rhetoric have prompted threats against female workers, which the former president did not denounce when he was asked directly about it.
Well, I think you have to let people know how they're doing. If they were doing a great job. I think we should say that, too, because I think they should be rewarded. But if they're not doing, does that mean that if they're doing a poor job, we're supposed to not say it?
And then Brad, as he's going on this blitz through the battleground states that will ultimately decide this election, the former president has been making news, not necessarily for his campaign message or his vision for the country, any campaign promises, but instead for his vulgar comments, first about Vice President Kamala Harris. So you have to.
Tell Kamala Harris that you've had enough that you just can't take it anymore. We can't stand you. You're a vice president.
Then about former golf star Arnold Palmer.
This man was strong and tough and I refused to say it. But when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there. They said, oh my God. That's unbelievable. I had to say it.
And in some ways, in this final stretch, this campaign is about trolling Vice President Kamala Harris. The former president has been absolutely fixated on whether or not Vice President Kamala Harris ever worked at McDonald's.
Talk about the heat. It was so tough. She never worked at McDonald's. McDonald's just confirmed that again, by the way.
She never worked at McDonald's. So here you had Donald Trump. He was inside of a McDonald's in suburban Philadelphia. He was working the fry station, working the drive through window.
This is not a normal situation, is it? Huh?
Of course, this, like many campaign events, was staged, but the former president was even asked questions about policy, whether or not he would raise the minimum wage, which currently stands at $0.25. Trump didn't even give an answer. The Harris campaign ultimately pouncing on that. But Brad, I talked to Republicans on Capitol Hill and throughout the country. And they like when the former president talks about the message, when he stays focused on the issues, the economy, immigration, he's still leading Vice President Kamala Harris by pretty wide margins on those issues in the polls. It does raise some questions about whether or not this is a winning strategy in the final stretch, focused on vulgar language and these type of insults.
But Rachel, he's doing better in the last week than he was a week before. Right. So, I mean, at some point does it become about like voters do appreciate the style as much as the substance or like the style tells you something about the candidate's substance. And like, maybe his advisers want him to talk about policy. That doesn't mean that voters do.
Yeah. Yeah.
Brandon vibes on how they were feeling when it was Donald Trump in the white House, not President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. That has a lot to do with it. But, Brad, I have been all across this country talking to voters, and I'll tell you that pretty much everyone I talk to has their mind made up about Donald Trump. They have an opinion on Donald Trump, one way or the other, good or bad. More voters have questions about Vice President Kamala Harris. And when I talk to undecided voters, most of their questions are about her, not him. And they're still waiting on her to prove to them why she deserves their vote, which.
Would actually track. Like, you see, these numbers change drastically after Biden gets out of the race. That's all about Harris, you see. You see numbers change after the convention. That's about Harris after the debate. That's all. This is all Harris stuff. It doesn't say as much about Donald Trump, even though he's the one whose policies are so out of the norm with the history of American politics. But before we go, Rachel, I wanted to ask you about one other thing, because as long as we're talking about, like, the enormous megaphone that some people have, I guess the only person with a megaphone quite like Trump's is Elon Musk. I mean, he's one of the richest men on earth. Now. He owns one of the biggest messaging platforms in the world. He's an avowed Trump supporter, and now he's using that to write like he wants to enter other Trump supporters in a sweepstakes for like $1 million if they sign a petition. What is he doing? And I guess, is it legal?
Yeah. So Donald Trump has the support of billionaire Elon Musk, the world's richest man. I hate.
Politics. But, but but the stakes are so high here that I have had no choice but to take a stand.
And like Donald Trump, he's been blitzing the battleground states as well. He has been in Pennsylvania. He has been doing a lot of campaign events.
So I have a surprise for you, which is that we are going to be awarding $1 million.
And so then suddenly you had Elon Musk making this pledge at his events, promising to give away $1 million a day to one person who signs his super PAC petition, and that is now raising new legal questions. We've talked to experts here at ABC news. They have told us what the law says. It says that it is illegal to give people money to vote or to register to vote. It is a federal crime. You have at least one Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania. He says that this is worth authorities actually looking into. We've also reached out to Elon Musk and his political organization. We have not heard back, Brad.
And again, he's saying, I'm not giving you money to register, but only registered voters are allowed to sign this petition and potentially get $1 million. It really bizarre, especially just because of what a powerful engine Twitter or X has become with Musk at the helm. All right, Rachel Scott there on the campaign trail right now.
Thank you. Thanks, Brad.
Almost a month ago today, a man named Marcellus Williams was executed in Missouri.
At 6:01 p.m., the lethal injection of pentobarbital was administered. At 6:10 p.m., Marcellus Williams was pronounced dead.
20 inmates have been put to death across the U.S. this year. But what made this case so unique was that the prosecutor's office in Missouri that put him on death row had begged judges since to take him off of it. They no longer believed he had gotten a fair trial back in the day. Williams had professed his innocence throughout the family of the murder victim in this case didn't want him to die. And yet the courts and the governor himself refused to intervene.
Two decades of judicial proceedings and more than 15 judicial hearings upheld his guilty conviction.
Well, now another man is scheduled to be executed, this time in Texas. Again, this inmate has professed his innocence again. Advocates say he's been wrongfully convicted. And again, a conservative governor has dismissed his pleas for a pardon. But this time, his appeals have gotten him a brief respite. And yesterday, some of those around him got to make his case to the Texas legislature. Let's go to ABC's chief national correspondent, Matt Gutman, who's been reporting on all the twists and turns of this story. Because, Matt, this all revolves around this phenomenon called shaken baby syndrome. This idea that there are parents out there, particularly fathers who might shake their child to death in a fit of rage. And for years, when a baby died, when there were signs of brain trauma but few other clues, people would accuse the father of shaking his baby to death. Many experts now say that's so rare that it would happen without lots of accompanying evidence. So many of these children probably died of other medical conditions, right?
This guy was supposed to be executed five days ago. I think what's happening now and.
Just 20 minutes before that execution, Brad, he got a stay. And that was the subpoena by the Texas legislature demanding that he appear before them. And basically they had come together from the left, from the right, Republicans, Democrats, with this very broad bipartisan appeal to say we cannot let this what they call the miscarriage of justice happen.
Members of the far left and members of the far right and everyone in between in the Texas House that have looked at this and know that this case has too much shadow of a doubt for it to move forward.
Basically, every court in the land is essentially upheld. This execution, including the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to take the case. It's been set up to appeal. And so this was a Hail Mary, a last ditch effort to try to save this man's life. And it worked. For five days while.
He is still breathing, there is still time to bring the truth to light. That is part of what the hearing on Monday is hoping to hear. And we needed Robert to be there as a first hand account.
And he was supposed to.
Appear before this bipartisan legislative committee. And on the day that he was supposed to appear, the attorney general of Texas, Paxton said, okay, no, you know, we think it's good enough that he appears via video and not in person. And his supporters said, no, he's got autism. That is going to prejudice the way people view him, and we need him to appear in person. That was the deal. So yesterday they continued to negotiate. It went late into the night, and there is still a chance that he might be able to meet with the legislative committee. It might happen in death row. They might come to him and they might be able to hear his testimony. But this is a case that has been bedeviled by legal questions since the very start. So back in 2002, Robert Robertson is charged with the murder of his nearly two year old daughter, Nikki. He's accused of essentially shaking her to death, something that they called shaken baby syndrome. They said that there was blunt force trauma as well.
But one of the things that the jury never heard is that Nikki had a long history of ailments.
She had an unidentified respiratory infection that included double pneumonia, both viral and bacterial.
She had been to the hospital over 40 times for various pulmonary issues before she was admitted in the time when she was found to be dead. I don't want.
To die, but I'm not afraid. Afraid of dying? Why? Why? I know I'm going to heaven.
Robertson, who was brought in, was autistic. They didn't know that at the time. He was undiagnosed. And so police and investigators, when they first started talking to him, said, oh, this guy isn't behaving the way an innocent man behaves. And so they had this prejudice against him.
Mr. Robertson had never received any evaluation, diagnosis or services for autism. Therefore, no one told the jury that his lack of emotional display and his routinized actions, his labored stammer, were products of his disability. Jurors were told to judge him as an unfeeling liar, and they heard no evidence to contextualize his responses in.
Subsequent court cases, and his subsequent lawyers realized that no, this is not the whole story. The original jury did not know that shaken baby syndrome has since been debunked. It's basically junk science.
I'll be forever haunted by my participation in his prosecution, his arrest and prosecution. He is an innocent man.
The lead detective on the case, has now been one of the main protectors and defendants of Robertson's case, saying, no, we got it wrong. Please believe us. A juror on the case testified yesterday. She said if I had known those things that I now know, I never would have voted to convict him.
Knowing what you know now. Do you believe Robert Robertson murdered his daughter, Nikki? No. How strongly do you feel about that?
100%.
And now he could be sentenced to death. No, this would be a miscarriage of justice. And it wasn't just them. It was Doctor Phil who came on and said. I've interviewed this man. This is not a case that you want to bring to execution.
They didn't see and hear everything they needed to see and hear to render a just verdict. Do you think.
That's even a debatable question?
Not even close.
John Grisham, the famous legal writer, has come on and said the same thing. All of this happening yesterday in this testimony before the legislative committee that Robertson himself couldn't attend. And so at this point, legally, it's in the hands of the governor, because, you know, the legislative committee can't really take it that far. Yeah.
What would the potential next steps be for Roberson?
He does not have a lot of legal recourse. He does not have a lot of legislative recourse. Right. They can only subpoena him and basically delay the inevitable by having him appear before a committee.
As a member who is supportive of the death penalty. I also believe that if we are going to execute people in the state of Texas, we have to be sure at the highest level that we can that that person committed this crime.
Right now, the greatest power rests in the hands of Governor Abbott, who can make a decision to commute this execution or to pardon him, or to call for a new trial. At this point, he hasn't done so. He seems to be, I think, waiting to see which way the wind blows on this case.
More broadly, Matt, does this also raise questions about death penalty cases in general because it's clear that you've got juries and you got judges, and you got prosecutors that can be influenced by theories and perhaps pseudoscience that has later been debunked. I mean, how concerning is that across the board?
I think it's very concerning across the board. And I think we're seeing incidents like these across the country. And I think that's why there has been so much money given to groups like the Innocence Project, which have spent a lot of time and a lot of effort trying to exonerate people who've been wrongfully convicted.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice here, or.
People who have been convicted based on suspicious circumstances or junk science in this case. In fact, the state of Texas in 2013 passed a junk science law to prevent a case just like this from happening. And here we are, right?
Here we are.
And remarkable, too, that this is really a bipartisan effort by the Texas legislature. You have Republicans as well as Democrats, sort of bucking the Republican governor and Republican attorney general on this issue, but we'll see what actually happens to this man's fate. All right. Matt Gutman, our chief national correspondent. Thank you. Thanks, Brad. And one last thing. When you're dropping off someone at the airport, what can a drop off person are you. Are you the mushy one who has to have a meaningful connection with your loved one before they soar off into the sky? Or are you maybe all business? You watch a person get their bag and you peel out as soon as they close the trunk. Well, recently, an airport in New Zealand has told its customers to toughen up. The Dunedin airport now has signs out in front along the curb, telling passengers they're limited to three minute hugs. That's right. No endless embraces, no long family prayers together on the curb. No love Actually montages for you.
But that's the point. The airport needs cars to keep moving. The signs encourage people to use the parking lot for, quote, fonder farewells. This drew outrage from travelers online calling the signs heartless and inhumane. One headline declared it was time to catch flights, not feelings. But the airport CEO has said this was meant to be a playful reminder that curbside goodbyes are not your only option. In fact, he told Radio New Zealand that there are studies showing all you need is a 22nd hug to release oxytocin, our so-called love hormone. Everything else, apparently, is overkill. Now, those of you who live near big airports might be thinking, who are you people that park curbside for more than three minutes? At many large airports, there are strict rules against waiting for passengers before they have arrived on the curb.
With our traffic increasing with the number of passengers, we just can't allow vehicles to park and wait at others.
You've got security and police shouting at you to hurry up or even rushing you with whistles. And I didn't know this. In the UK, home of congestion pricing, most airports will charge you a fee to even drive up to the curb. They call it a kiss and fly fee. They recently increased it up to a pound per minute at some airports, everyone else is expected to get off at a parking lot or a train station and take mass transit inside. The bottom line is, if you're a hugger, you might pay the price. See, this is when dude hugs can help because you hug two pats on the back brake. Five seconds max never fails New Zealand. You can practice your dude hugs. Many thanks to Jay O'Brien and Anne Flaherty for filling in the last few days so I could see some family. Also, thanks to Anne for suggesting some Halloween costumes in her. One last thing, you are what you eat. So yeah, I think a burrito costume for me has to be the move.
This year I'm Brad Mielke. I'll see you tomorrow.
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Kids, if you want to do crime, now's the time. Happy first day of school. You better bring you the best.
Ones are like four more of these. Yeah, we were robbed. Hey! Buy three, get one free. I'm gonna call your mother on you. Bring the rest back here, boy.
This.
Wednesday night.
Oh, my God, are you kidding me? Oh! No way. Don Quixote is here. What would you do Wednesday night? What would you.
Do if you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick cash? He squirted.
Water down. Oh, we would not do that.
I saw you.
I'll testify. Drama. Drama.
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First dash to the finish line. Vice President Harris and former President Trump are targeting battleground states. With exactly two weeks until Election Day, we'll take a closer look at where both candidates are focusing their attention for the final stretch, pushing for a diplomatic solution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel overnight, set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The latest on the cease fire efforts as the IDF steps up its attacks on Lebanon and October turning up the heat. Many states across the country are seeing temperatures in the 80s. How long this record warmth is expected to last, with almost half the country dealing with growing drought. But first, former President Trump and Vice President Harris are hitting battleground states today, with Trump in must win North Carolina and Harris's running mate, Governor Tim Walz in Wisconsin, where early voting begins today. Millions of Americans have already cast their votes with exactly two weeks until Election Day. ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott has the latest on this very tight race.
With the election only two weeks away. Donald Trump crisscrossing battleground North Carolina.
And a.
Very special hello to North Carolina.
The former president, surveying the damage from Hurricane Helene, still pushing false and debunked claims that the federal government diverted disaster funds to undocumented migrants. Officials warn disinformation has led to violent threats against FEMA workers, something Trump refused to condemn if they.
Were doing a great job. I think we should say that, too, because I think they should be rewarded. But if they're not doing, does that mean that if they're doing a poor job, we're supposed to not say it?
At his rally in Greenville, Trump promising mass deportations, vowing to invoke an 18th century law that allows officials to detain people from other countries that the U.S. is at war with. It was last used to justify Japanese internment during World War Two. Think of that In 1998.
That's when we had real politicians that said, we're not going to play games. We have to go back to 1798 to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil. We're going to knock the hell out of them.
In the final stretch, Trump and his allies making false claims about transgender rights, making it part of their closing message to voters flooding the airwaves with ads casting Harris as extreme. Trump also accusing Harris of attacking religion even after she visited two Georgia churches over the weekend.
Very destructive to evangelicals and to the Catholic Church. And she's she's she's let me put it this way, Ben. She is your worst nightmare.
The former president trying to court Christian voters just one day after making vulgar remarks about golf legend Arnold Palmer.
When he took showers with the other pros. They came out of there. They said, oh my God. That's unbelievable.
Palmer's daughter criticizing those comments in an interview with ABC news.
Come there and.
Talk about, you know, hackneyed.
Anecdotes from the locker room seemed really seemed disrespectful and inappropriate to me. The people.
In western Pennsylvania deserve.
Substance, not stories that intimate a closer relationship than actually existed.
North Carolina is one of 37 states that have started in-person early voting. You can see this long line behind me, these voters trying to file into this polling location. Former President Donald Trump had three stops here yesterday. He has a rally tonight in Greensboro.
Stephanie, our thanks to you. ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott there in North Carolina. Thank you. Rachel. Vice President Harris is tearing through the so-called blue wall states. She hit all 3 in 1 day with Republican former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who's endorsing Harris over former President Trump. ABC News Chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce is tracking the Harris campaign from Milwaukee.
With just two weeks to go in the race neck and neck Vice President Kamala Harris barnstorming three key battleground states Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin that could be key to her victory. Trying to make inroads with suburban conservative voters who may be apprehensive to support Donald Trump with her at every stop, her most prominent Republican supporter, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. There are moments in the history of our country which challenge us, each of us, to really decide, do we stand for those things that we talk about, including in particular, country over party? In the Detroit suburbs, Cheney reminding voters what Trump did on January 6th.
And then he sat in his dining room and he watched the attack on television. He watched it. People pleaded with him to tell the mob to leave, and he wouldn't, and he watched law enforcement officers be brutally beaten. He watched it. That's a depravity that to me. And, you know, I think to anyone who's taken the oath of office makes someone absolutely unfit ever to be president again.
And on the issue of reproductive rights, Cheney, a staunch opponent of abortion rights while in Congress, arguing some Republican states have gone too far and that Trump is to blame.
I'm pro-life. Um, and I have been, um, very troubled, deeply troubled by what I have watched happen in so many states. You know, Donald Trump at one point called for criminal penalties for women. Now, you know, he's been now trying to to, you know, sort of be all over the place on this issue, although he expresses great pride for what's happened. And and I think the bottom line on this, as on so many other issues, is, you know, you just can't count on him. You cannot trust him.
Cheney with this message to reluctant Republicans.
It's not about party. It's about right and wrong. And I would just remind people, if you're at all concerned, you can vote your conscience and not ever have to say a word to anybody. And there will be millions of Republicans who do that on November 5th.
Now, after 11 straight days of events out on the campaign trail, Harris is spending the day in Washington preparing and gearing up for another round of interviews ahead of the final push here over the next 14 days. Her next big appearance out on the campaign trail will be her first time out, appearing alongside former President Barack Obama. Stephanie.
Mary Bruce, thank you so much. More than 17 million Americans have already voted in this high stakes election, with more than 10 million votes cast just last week alone, 37 states have kicked off early voting, including must win North Carolina. ABC News political director and Washington bureau chief Rick Klein breaks down the numbers for us.
Stephanie, almost 17 million.
Americans have already voted this.
Election cycle, 10 million plus in the last week.
Alone.
As expected, the voting.
Pace down a little bit from early voting.
In 2020, when Covid upended voting patterns across the country.
But to zoom in on a.
Few big battlegrounds, this is what we.
See so far in Georgia. Of course, we don't know who.
People voted for. We won't know for another two weeks, but we are seeing Republicans starting to eat into that early voting advantage that Democrats had four years early. Still more Democrats voting than Republicans, but not as much as last time in Pennsylvania. It's similar. There are more Democrats voting early, but it's not the same lopsided numbers as in 2020. We can't know yet if that's a sign of momentum or if those people are previously people that voted on Election Day and are now listening to a party that, at least sometimes, is encouraging early voting a little bit more. But with polling now in being very tight in the battleground states. This is what we see as the FiveThirtyEight averages across the board. Things are closer, tighter, all in almost every one of these states. Donald Trump picking up just a little bit. A new poll out this morning in Georgia has Trump up four there, but there are 8% who still say they're undecided. And right now it has become a battle for the suburbs.
Take a look at some of the places that Vice President Harris has been in the last couple of days. That includes a visit tomorrow to to Delaware County, which is right outside Philadelphia, where she'll have a town hall. Those are the kind of places that Harris needs to do well in Delaware County. To cite an example, Joe Biden ran four points better than Hillary Clinton in 2016. Harris needs those numbers again. As for Trump, he'll be in Florida and then back in North Carolina today scheduled to visit Greensboro, which is a little bit of a bluer area in a redder part of the state. Trump needs his voters to stay with him in that critical southern battleground. He won North Carolina four years ago, but it was his closest margin of victory anywhere. Stephanie A.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This comes as the IDF is escalating operations in Gaza and Lebanon. In Beirut, Lebanon's Ministry of Health says dozens are injured in at least 13 people are dead, including one child, after an IDF strike near the country's largest public hospital. Israeli forces say they hit a Hezbollah terrorist target near the hospital, but says the building was not targeted. ABC News foreign correspondent Tom Soufi Burridge has the latest from Tel Aviv. Tom.
Hey, Stephanie. Yeah. Blinken already meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. They have a lot to discuss on Gaza. U.S. officials say they want to take advantage of the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to push the conflict towards some kind of resolution, as well as focus on the lack of aid reaching the most desperate areas of northern Gaza where the IDF has really escalated its operations amid desperate scenes and reports of heavy casualties. Blinken also focusing on the other major fronts in this war in Lebanon, again pushing for a diplomatic solution. But IDF operations there are also escalating. Israel now targeting buildings linked to a Hezbollah affiliated financial organization and also striking overnight near a hospital. Crucially, Secretary Blinken will also be discussing Israel's plans to launch a retaliatory strike against Iran and the fear that this could turn into all out war between the two countries. Stephanie.
Tom, thank you so much. Concerns are growing in South Korea after new signs. North Korean troops are training to fight for Russia in Ukraine. A senior government official in South Korea tells ABC news Seoul was considering sending defensive weapons and a monitoring team to assess the threat posed by North Korea. ABC News foreign correspondent Brit Clement joins us live from Hong Kong. For more on this. Brit, great to have you. A North Korean UN representative is denying that troops were sent to Russia to fight Ukraine, but South Korea says Pyongyang sent a large scale deployment on Friday to help its ally. So? So which is it? What are you hearing there on the ground?
Well, Stephanie, all signs are pointing.
To North Korean involvement in.
Russia's war in Ukraine. We know this is creating a lot of anxiety, a lot of anger among South Koreans to they are now sending, considering sending weapons to, to to Ukraine for the first time since up until now it's only been defensive. They are also going to send a monitoring team to look at troop movement. We know that in June, Russia and North Korea signed a mutual Security pact that included a provision that basically guaranteed that they would come to each other's aid in case of any emergency. And that's what's causing so much concern, not only in this region, but also, of course, in Ukraine, where they're seeing some some defeats in the battlefield, especially in eastern Ukraine.
And of course, this being a war that's gone on for so long, the United States has weighed in on this potential threat. What more do we know about that?
Yeah. So we know that white House spokesperson John Kirby, he said that they are looking into those reports. We also heard from a UN representative of the United States. And basically he was sounding the alarm to of this dangerous development. He was basically saying that if true, it marks a dangerous and highly concerning development and an obvious deepening of the North Korean Russian military relationship. Now, they went on to say that they're consulting with US allies on the implications of this dangerous move. North Korea's UN ambassador called the allegations groundless smears. But for their part, the Kremlin have basically sidestepped all these claims. And of course, there's closer involvement, as I say, deeply concerning for Ukraine, which is suffering battlefield losses in the East. You know, they say that the presence of North Korean troops pose a huge risk of escalation with this war potentially stretching beyond its current borders.
American officials, of course, condemning the growing military alliance in a war that's gone on way too long. Thank you so much, Brit. Really appreciate your reporting. Millions of people across the country are dealing with record October heat. More than a dozen record highs were tied or broken yesterday, with more states seeing temperatures in the 80s today. Chief meteorologist Ginger Zee is tracking the forecast for us. Hey there Ginger.
Stephanie, we have a lot to talk about because this whole summer in the middle of October thing. Yeah, it's not normal. Yesterday, 10 to 30 degrees above normal. Boston actually had a record high of 83, which is 23 degrees above where they would be on average this time of year. Hartford, Connecticut did it. Newark, new Jersey beat a record. Traverse city, Michigan. Other sites in Michigan like Sault Ste. Marie. Aurora, Illinois was 82 and in Vermont into the 70s. It's all fun and games when you're enjoying it out there, but for agriculture? Not great. Some of the farmers, the apple orchards, they're just south of Philadelphia, said that they've had to end their picking early. A lot of those apples falling on the ground. I know we saw that with my family too. Look at this driest fall on record. They're praying for moisture because that's a big part of the problem for a lot of those farmers. 45% of our nation in some level of drought.
But this is the driest September 1st to date. So until now, on record for a lot of sites like the Twin Cities or Philadelphia, that's about a half a foot below average. Austin and Los Angeles also. So not only hot, but dry. We've even seen a few wildfires from Connecticut to New Jersey. Temperatures today are going to end up in that record territory again for Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and even Philadelphia could get to 85. And if you're curious and haven't seen it yet, the winter outlook. Temperature wise, stays above average. Looks very much like La Nina, which is what we're in. But along that southern tier of the United States. That's where the much above average temperatures are expected. Stephanie.
Ginger, I've been so ready to pull out the cozy sweaters. It's just not time yet. Not quite fall weather yet. Thank you so much, Ginger. Coming up, we've got new video of a deadly helicopter crash in Texas. What? We're now learning about that investigation. And the new tool helping officials comb through that wreckage.
The ship is heaven.
There should be no guilt on a pleasure cruise. Doctor, it's your job.
To keep everybody alive.
No pulse. She's in v-fib. One. Two.
Three. Clear. I have a pulse.
You're gonna be okay.
So for the last time, you'll be able to say anything. But the oh nine blocked the door down the hallway. Now it's time to run. No time patrol. How many of these poachers have you caught yet?
I did terrible things. I hurt a lot of people.
I know who you are. Ball's in the air. The Special. Yes! It's a touchdown! Yes!
What if God made me this way?
FX's American sports story. Aaron Hernandez. All new Tuesdays at Ten on FX. Stream on Hulu.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime. And they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not? The Menendez.
Brothers. Monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, investigators with the NTSB will be at the site of a deadly helicopter crash in Texas today. Four people were killed when the chopper slammed into a radio tower in Houston on Sunday. Investigators are looking at new surveillance video trying to learn more about what caused that crash. ABC's Mireya Villarreal has the latest. Reporter.
The NTSB now investigating that fatal helicopter crash in Houston that killed all four people on board, including a child.
We're in the early phases of this.
Investigation, so we're.
Collecting.
All the evidence we.
Can while we're here.
On scene.
The privately owned Robinson R 44 helicopter operating an Air Tours flight just before 8 p.m. Sunday when it crashed into this 1200 foot tall radio tower. The moment of the collision caught on video and surveillance camera leaving behind burning wreckage. It got.
Bright.
Orange like a flame and it just.
Crumbled.
The fire department using drones to assess the scope of the damage. Our Houston station KTRK, flying over the wreckage saying the radio tower is hard to see even during the day.
It's not painted well, and the lights are not the strobes that some of the towers around town have on them.
So this private helicopter didn't have a black box on board. And in fact, this particular model isn't equipped or isn't required to be equipped with one. We do know right now that NTSB is trying to canvass the area, trying to find other recording devices that may have this flight data information so we can help with their investigation. Stephanie.
Maria, thank you so much. Chilling new video is emerging of the chaos after a deadly dock collapse on a historic Georgia island. Seven people were killed when the dock came crashing down over the weekend. There it is. In that video, survivors are also sharing harrowing details of the disaster. ABC's Faith Abubey has the latest. And we have to warn you, some viewers may find this video disturbing.
The shock and anguish at the scene of a deadly dock gangway collapse in Georgia, laid bare in a new video. Oh my God, where's my heart? It was shot moments after the structure plunged down, sending at least 20 people into the water Saturday afternoon. Please heart people desperately hanging onto the railings. Others in the water struggling to stay afloat. I've never been more so frightened in my life. Diane Bloodworth swept under. She says it took about a minute before she could resurface for air. This gentleman threw a life vest on me and said, I got you. I'm not going to let you go. He's holding my head up so that I wouldn't go under. Diane, 80 year old aunt nearby, tightly hanging onto a rope, fighting for her life.
I ran towards the edge of the dock. I got on my stomach and I reached my hands out and Miss Bertha grabbed me.
Catherine Sneed helping get her to safety. Bertha is still in the ICU, reuniting with her hero. Her son telling us she's traumatized.
Jumping up, screaming, yelling, reaching and grabbing. She has muscle muscle damage in both her legs and her back. She also has some damaged lungs.
The walkway collapse killed seven other senior citizens, including Zelda Johnson's cousin and her husband and Stephanie, as you saw there. I've spoken with some of the survivors, and they tell me they're still struggling with the trauma of the deadly collapse. They remember that chaos at the scene. They remember the deaths around them, one of them even telling me that she won't go back to that island, even though she has family members there until she feels there is a safer pier. In the meantime, though, some of the families of the victims and their survivors, they've retained lawyers, including well-known attorney Ben Crump. They claim that this was a preventable disaster that was caused by negligence, and now they're demanding answers and justice.
Stephanie, such a horrible incident. Faith. Thank you. Coming up, One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz is talking about her time in a group she calls a cult. While she was on the hit show why she finally left and how she's moving forward now with her former castmates.
Trick or treat.
When I flick the switch.
There'll be a horrible noise and a terrible.
Odor. Will it hurt?
Pain like you've never known. Oh.
This is risky. I am satisfied.
What, are you scared? This is.
Happiness. We love Halloween. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Got me.
He's a bit silly.
Turning the machine off. Do you feel good?
Hi. My name is Patrice. I am a totally cool person with a disability who could do most anything.
It just said, would you.
Like to be my wife? They're never gonna stop us from loving each other.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime. And they were raised in a house of hate. When can we, as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez brothers will walk free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question. Do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers, monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu.
Three. Two. One.
It's a 24 over seven live together.
It's not about the fear or the risk. It's about the love of flying. Three. Two. One. I love this version of me.
America's number one.
Most watched daytime talk show is ABC's.
The View. You all heard it here first. This is going to be must see TV.
And so much could happen. That's why it's called the what w.
Welcome back to ABC News Live. First here are some of the top headlines we're following right now. Sources tell ABC news disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with cancer. It's said to be a form of bone marrow cancer. Weinstein is reportedly receiving treatment in jail right here in New York City. He's being prosecuted again for sex crimes. Weinstein had emergency heart surgery last month. Crews are putting out a large fire in north Dallas. Take a look at that. Flames lit up the sky as crews fought this fire at a wood pallet manufacturing plant near Love Field. Power was out in the surrounding area as the fire appears to have spread to a nearby substation. No immediate word on any injuries. Honda is recalling more than 700,000 vehicles, saying the high pressure fuel pump may crack and leak gas. The company says that could increase the risk of a fire. The recall includes 2023 to 2024 Accord and Accord hybrids, the 2025 Civic Hybrid and CR-V hybrids from 2023 to 2025. Honda says there are no reports of injuries or deaths related to the issue, and it says it will inspect and replace necessary parts for free.
If you think you're impacted, reach out to Honda customer service. City officials say the New York Liberty will get an iconic ticker tape parade in downtown Manhattan to celebrate its first franchise championship title. Ahead of the celebrations, the Empire State Building, City Hall and other municipal buildings were lit up in seafoam green. Fans will line the streets for the parade through downtown Manhattan at 10 a.m. eastern this Thursday. One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz is opening up about leaving what she calls a cult in a new memoir, dinner for vampires. Bethany is revealing how she got out and what her life looks like on the other side. ABC's Erielle Reshef sat down with her for this TV exclusive.
I don't want to be anything other than what I've been.
She starred as Haley James Scott on the teen drama One Tree Hill and Ivy to mine. But in her new memoir dinner for Vampires Life on a cult TV show, while also in an actual cult. Bethany Joy Lenz, opening up about life as part of a group that members called the big House family. It was just a home group Bible study, and then it morphed with the entrance.
Of.
A pastor from another state. I think he just saw a lot of young professionals and got dollar signs in his eyes and went, oh, I know what I can do here, and.
Began a very.
Long.
It was a long game con. It was a.
Long game manipulation. And after about.
A year I was.
Totally entrenched.
In it. Lenz married a fellow member of the group, splitting her time between the big house in Idaho, where the group was located, and the One Tree Hill sets in North Carolina, where she played a happy wife and mother. She says her TV marriage was much happier than her real life relationship. We got married last night.
He was always just like.
Kind of a friend, brotherly.
Person to me who.
I really.
Love and care.
About.
But I know.
In my body there.
Was this constant.
Back and forth.
And this awareness that.
I am capable of butterflies and feeling excited and feeling loved.
And engaged by another.
Person.
And it's not happening.
In my marriage.
And it never did. Lens eventually leaving the group and her marriage to in search of a better life for her daughter. I left because of my daughter. I left because it was time. I remember having this thought.
I said, I don't know.
What's wrong with me.
And.
Why. I will.
Allow myself to be treated this.
Way, but.
There's no way in hell I'm going to.
Allow this to happen to her. We got to get out. But as she struggled to start over, lens says she realized $2 million she had made on One Tree Hill was unaccounted for. Yeah, yeah.
I really don't know.
I don't know if it's buried in a hole somewhere. I don't know if it's all just been spent. Today, the 43 year old is forging new connections with old friends. Back together with her One Tree Hill family hosting the podcast Drama Queens. We didn't make those connective points.
When we were younger.
For various reasons, one of which being I was in a cult and so it was harder for me to make connections with people. But yeah, I'm really grateful that the.
Opportunity came.
Back around. To me, and you saw her there with her castmates. Will Bethany says she was initially embarrassed to reconnect with old friends after missing so much, but she says many of them have welcomed her and her daughter right back into their lives with open arms. Now she's hoping to help others trapped in unhealthy situations. Steph.
So glad she's in a better place now. Thank you so much, Ariel. Coming up, the race for the white House is neck and neck and polls show it is growing even tighter. We'll break down what happens if there's a tie. Plus, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa set to return to the field this week after his latest concussion, what he's saying about his decision to keep playing. And also coming up, little Monsters. Listen up. The must see news about Lady Gaga's next album coming up in the T. Stay with us.
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We are part of an operation. This is our combat operation center. We're approaching the gate. Militants came in from different directions. Nuclear reactor. So you have a couple loaded and ready to go. The house is destroyed, but the flag, not.
A tear in it.
How important it made the USA. Great work. I appreciate you.
Thank you. It's mayo. David. David, I'm David Muir.
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You do?
Every night.
ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir is America's most watched newscast.
Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, you're looking at the white House on this Tuesday, with just two weeks left until Election Day, we will see what happens. And we're going to talk about it right now. Former President Trump and Vice President Harris, they're hitting battleground states today with Trump in must win North Carolina. And Harris, his running mate, Governor Tim Walz in Wisconsin, where early voting begins today. Host of the FiveThirtyEight politics podcast, Galen Druke joins me now right here in studio. And Galen, I want to talk about, first of all, great to see you. I know. Well, maybe we'll get to we'll have time to talk about Lady Gaga toward the end of this.
Yeah, right. Yeah.
We can talk.
About politics, and.
We can talk about Lady.
Gaga. Yes, yes.
Let's see how much time we have. But I want to talk about early voting. So right now, more than 17 million Americans have already voted, with more than 10 million of those votes cast just last week alone. So how significant are these early voting numbers compared to four years ago 2020?
Yeah, it tells me that.
Pandemic.
Era voting strategies have set in to some extent across battleground states. We have seen first day early voting records broken again and again. A lot of Americans are voting early, and what we're seeing in the underlying trends is that it is not as disproportionately democratic this time around. So more Republicans are early voting as well. And that tracks with the message that former President Trump has been delivering to his supporters, which in previous previous elections, he's tried to sow doubt about early voting, saying that it's rigged or that it's not the right way to vote this time around. Republicans have been saying you should also vote early, and I think they're seeing the results in the numbers. I should still say more Democrats than Republicans are voting early. It's just less disproportionately so. On top of that, the one final thing I'll say on this is that it is more partisan voters and older voters who are casting their ballots early, those younger, more unaffiliated, politically voters, they haven't cast their ballots yet. So maybe campaigns should be focusing on those folks in the final two weeks because they're still up for grabs, right?
Especially in the battleground states. Let's talk about those battleground states and where things stand right now in states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina and Georgia. What are you seeing?
Yeah. So in Pennsylvania, it's a dead heat. The polls, on average, are tied. In North Carolina, Trump leads by about a point. And in Georgia, Trump leads by about a point and a half. Now, I should say that underneath those, those are the averages, right? So there's some disagreement in the polls. Some polls will show a better picture for Harris in Pennsylvania. Some polls will show a better picture for Trump in Georgia and the likes. But I think the general message is that this race is very close in the final stretch.
And because it's so close. Caitlin, what happens if there is some sort of a tie in the Electoral College? What comes next?
Stephanie it.
Gets complicated. I know it gets complicated.
So of course the Electoral College decides the election. So just because we have a super close race doesn't mean we're headed towards the likelier outcome of a tie. According to the FiveThirtyEight forecast, there's a 1 in 300 chance that there's a tie, and the states would have to move in slightly different directions than they're currently moving to get to that point. If we do. However, the House decides the election, but it's not like all 435 members of the House get a say. It goes state by state. So all 50 state delegations have to cast a ballot for one of the two major candidates. The Constitution provides for they can pick between three, but likely in this case two. And so you have to get 26 House votes. And today, Republicans control 26 House delegations. After this coming election, it's likely that that will remain the case. So if there were a tie, it seems likely that the House would give the election to Donald Trump. And then the Senate, of course, picks the vice president.
And it goes the same way. So every senator has every senator has a vote by state. So you have to get 26 votes in the Senate as well to pick the vice president. Things could get very complicated, but fingers crossed, Stephanie, we never get to that place.
Exactly.
I was just going to say hopefully we don't get there. We'll see how it all plays out. Thank you so much. Host of the FiveThirtyEight podcast, Galen Druke. Thank you so much for being here. Next time we'll chat about Lady Gaga.
Yes, indeed. We'll save time.
All right. Well, the Trump campaign and Republican groups are spending tens of millions of dollars on ads targeting transgender issues in the final weeks leading up to the election. A recent ad features Vice President Harris voicing support for taxpayer funded health care for immigrants in federal custody, including transgender care. Take a listen.
Surgery for.
Prisoners for.
Prisoners.
Every transgender inmate in the prison system would have access.
Kamala is for they them.
President Trump is for.
You, I'm.
Donald J. Trump and I approve this message.
Let's bring in ABC news Deputy Political director Avery Harper and political enterprise reporter for the L.A. times, Noah Bierman, to talk about this. Thank you both for being here and speaking with us. Noah, I want to start with you. Media tracking service Adimpact reports the Trump campaign and Republican groups have spent more than $21 million on these ads. They've played them more than 30,000 times in many instances during sporting events. So why do you believe it? Is the campaign putting so much time and money into this?
Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting. If you.
Watch any football.
College or pro.
You've likely seen these ads.
More than once. I know I.
Have. And and you know, the Trump.
And the Trump campaign have said.
The economy is the top issue. Immigration is a secondary issue.
This doesn't really.
Rank that high on.
The issues.
List.
But it's one that, you know.
Really arrests.
People when.
You see these ads.
And it's really intended to sort of bring the culture wars back in.
There's a few.
Reasons for that. One is that the Trump campaign is.
Heavily focused.
On young men, and they feel like this.
Is an issue.
That resonates with them. And secondly, they're trying to.
Create a broader.
Idea that Harris is an out of touch liberal. And they feel that.
That will bring in a broader group of.
People around that idea.
But, you know, it's questionable.
2022.
There was a lot of campaigning on the.
Culture wars, the Anti-woke campaigns, and a lot.
Of them were actually.
Unsuccessful.
And obviously, as we get closer and closer to the election, these ads are going to ramp up. That's expected. Avery, the New York Times reports, during Trump's four years in office, the Bureau of Prisons provided gender affirming treatments for a small group of inmates who requested it. Harris actually brought this up during her interview with Fox News when she was asked about the issue. So does that matter to voters? Is that going to really make much of an impact? Her stance on that?
Well, listen again, like Noah mentioned, I think when you look at the wide array of issues that voters are using to determine who they're going to cast their ballots for, this does not rank very high. And so, yes, we did see Kamala Harris on Fox, which I think is important to note, raise the fact that, you know, during the Trump presidency that this sort of care was available to those who were inmates and detained by the Bureau of Prisons that ranged from things like emotional therapy and counseling and hormone therapy to even surgery, and that she says, she would follow the law as well should she be elected as president of the United States. But she said that one time in one interview on Fox News, these are ads that are playing over and over and over again. Listen, I don't even live in a swing state, but I've seen those ads numerous times on on air and in a race that is going to be decided by, you know, a very small number of voters.
Look, these margins, particularly in these swing states, are razor thin. These campaigns on both sides are going to be using anything they can to try and turn voters out to come to the polls. And, you know, for the Trump campaign that has been about utilizing the fear of what could happen under a Kamala Harris presidency to try and mobilize voters to the polls, we'll see what happens.
Exactly. Avery. And you said it. Trying to utilize every minute they can both campaigns to get as many votes as possible as we head toward the election just two weeks away. Noah, I want to ask you, a 2021 Marist Center poll found 61% of Americans said transgender athletes should only be allowed to play on teams that match their birth gender. This has been a huge issue for years in right wing media spaces, so how much of an impact could this issue have on the outcome of this election?
Yeah, I mean, the question is, is this something that.
Really.
You know, juices.
Up the base, excites.
People who are already in Trump's camp to show up at the polls? It seems definitely geared to that. And then the other question is, you know, this is an area where even people who might be more sympathetic to trans rights would probably have questions the polling suggests. So can you get a slice of them? Can you just sort of reinforce the image you're already trying to paint? That Harris is is very, very liberal. Um, and I think that's where that's the big question is and that's where it's really aimed at.
And Avery, this isn't an issue like the economy or immigration. And you said it, there's so many, so many issues to discuss. But it's not like those topics that that people say are most important to them. So why do Republicans think it could actually swing voters right?
Again, I think that it's because they know that the margins are razor thin. And in particularly in some of these swing states, you know, when you look at the issues that folks care about, there was a recent Gallup poll and they asked, you know, folks about a wide number of issues, transgender rights being one of them, transgender rights. They had the largest number of folks that say that it is not important to their vote. You know, how they're going to cast those ballots come Election Day. And so I think, you know, it's important to put that in context. I think most people are going to be looking at issues like the economy and inflation to determine who they're going to vote for.
Avery Harper and Noah Bierman, thank you both so much for your time. I want to bring in transgender activist and author Raquel Willis for more on this. Raquel, thank you so much for joining us. What was your reaction when you first saw this Trump campaign ad? Painting Harris as a is an extreme liberal. That is a danger to conservatism.
I found it very disgusting.
I mean, I think it's an expensive tactic to take cheap shots at the trans community. We've seen time and time again, the GOP paint so many different communities on the margins as villains in America's story. We've seen it with conversations around migrants. We've seen it around conversations around our Haitian fam and so many folks who are making decisions about their own bodies, including having abortions. So it's not surprising, but I want it to be clear that we can't just let this rhetoric exist. And I think that that's what the Harris campaign has been doing for a long time, is just letting this kind of anti-trans rhetoric exist and hoping it will dissipate. We have to be clear that it's disgusting that trans folks are being demonized. Incarcerated folks deserve holistic health care, migrants deserve holistic health care, and trans folks deserve holistic health care like everyone else in this country.
And Raquel, Vice President Harris was asked about this in an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News, and she said she will follow the law, just as former President Trump did on this issue when he was in office. So I want to play some of that moment.
So are you still in support of using taxpayer dollars to help prison inmates or detained illegal aliens to transition to another gender?
I will follow the law.
And it's a.
Law that Donald Trump actually followed. You're probably familiar.
With now.
It's a public report that under Donald Trump's administration.
These surgeries were.
Available.
To on a medical necessity basis to people in the federal prison system. And I think.
Frankly, that.
Ad from the Trump campaign is a little bit of like throwing, you know, stones when you're living in a glass house.
Baier responded that no surgeries happened in Trump's presidency. So, Raquel, what did you make of her answer?
I thought it was okay, but I think that we could have gone further. I don't think that it's okay to paint trans communities issues, incarcerated folks, issues as remote. I don't think that that helps in kind of picturing this bigger. We, as some of my friends over at Asos communications remind us to. We have to be clear, everyone deserves holistic health care. If people are being incarcerated, we have to make sure that they are not being tortured, that they have access to the things that they need. But again, I think that the Trump campaign has made it clear time and time again, they will do whatever they can hit below the belt to try and misguide American voters. And we can't let that happen. We have to call out the misinformation and disinformation whenever we see it and correct it.
And while we have you, I have to ask, what do you say to parents who don't want their daughters, for instance, competing in sports against athletes assigned male at birth? That's been a big talker for for many, many years, and especially recently, that's ramped up quite a bit. So what do you what do you think?
I think that trans folks deserve to pursue our passions like anyone else, right? We know that people have all types of experiences, all types of bodies, and there are also so many barriers to participating in sports. So all of this focus on trans folks. When there's such a small number of trans folks who have the opportunity to access sports, is really disgusting. We should be talking about barriers like economic barriers to participating in sports. You know, there are so many other things, and I think that it's really disgusting that trans youth are living in a time when, of course, there's more visibility than ever before, but there's also more targets on our backs than ever before. This is not a problem in sports. Bodies across the country and globally have settled the discussion around trans folks participating in competitions.
Transgender activist and author Raquel Willis, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Coming up, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to return to the field this week after his latest concussion. What he's saying about his decision to keep playing.
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W you're a single mom pretending to be a cop. I am not pretending. I spot things that detectives miss. Like it's up to me. I'm just out here. Super cop.
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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, WNBA players are opting out of their collective bargaining agreement to demand higher pay. The league is coming off of one of its most successful seasons ever. Now, the Players Association says it is time for the players to claim their rightful share. ABC's Rhiannon ally has the latest.
The New York Liberty are WNBA champions.
Just one day after the New York Liberty won the WNBA championship. A major decision from the league's players. Breaking news the players union opting out of its collective bargaining agreement early to demand higher pay and better training facilities. Here's Clark. That one rattles through. Women's basketball just enjoyed a record smashing year. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving viewership to all time highs, and a new media rights deal could earn the league $200 million per year.
Increases in attendance by 48%, increases in merchandise sales by 600% compared to last year.
But the league's.
Big stars are not earning big money. Clark and Reese made about $70,000 salaries in their rookie season.
I just hope y'all know the WNBA don't pay my bills at all.
For comparison, the number one draft pick in the NBA last year made more than $12 million in his rookie season. The highest earning WNBA player makes about 2% of that. The president of the players association says opting out of the contract isn't just about bigger paychecks, it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built. Many players compete overseas in the off season to boost their income. Others cash in on endorsements. Caitlin Clark reportedly signed a $28 million contract with Nike, but the Players Association says it's ready to take a stand, saying we are ready to lead transformational change that goes beyond women's sports.
Rhiannon. Thank you. The players in league will have to sort out a new contract by the end of next season, or they risk a lockout that stops playing. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to return to the field this week after his latest concussion. He was sidelined for a month after taking a big hit playing against the bills earlier this season. It's his third concussion since joining the NFL in 2020. Now he's defying calls to retire, saying he's willing to play the odds. ABC's Victor Oquendo has the latest.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returning to football after being sidelined for weeks because of his latest concussion.
I've been symptom.
Free the.
Next from from the next.
Day after the game on.
Medical experts clearing Tagovailoa to return to practice Wednesday, aiming to suit up against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday.
The medical experts have deemed it safe for him to return. So I don't mess with timelines or.
Try to overcook or.
Forecast you. You lean on experts.
Despite growing calls for him to retire after suffering multiple concussions, Tagovailoa determined to keep playing.
I love this.
Game and I love it to the death of me.
That's it. He suffered his third known concussion in the NFL on this play one month ago. Tua steps up.
He's going to run for the first down and takes a shot at the six yard line.
His fingers appearing to curl going into what is known as the fencing response, an immediate sign of neurological trauma. During the 2022 season, he suffered two concussions, including this one Christmas Day, Tagovailoa's head appearing to bounce off the turf on Monday, seeming to downplay the risks of returning to play.
There's just risking any and everything. I'm willing to play the odds.
The 26 year old also said he would not wear a Guardian cap, a soft shelled helmet cover that some experts say helps protect against concussions, as worn by teammate DeVaughn Chan in last Sunday's game against the Colts. When you wear a guardian cap? Nope.
Why? Personal choice.
What we are concerned about is not whether necessarily or not he can go back to play now, but what about his future? Repetitive concussions. Repetitive sub concussions can translate to long term outcomes, and the more people play football, the worse outcomes later in life.
Do I want to be.
You know, known for this? No, I don't, but that's the cards I've been dealt.
We put one of the Guardian caps on top of this helmet. You see all that extra padding there? Some experts say this can reduce the force of impact. Tua says that he will not be wearing one of these, calling it a personal choice, but he knows he needs to play smart. Stephanie.
All right, Victor, thank you so much. Coming up, little monsters. Listen up. The must see news about Lady Gaga's next album that is coming up in the T.
Stay with us on.
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What would you do if you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick cash? He squirted.
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I think we should break it now. What do people say? It's none of your business.
If I told you what I'd say, you can't record it.
The question is, what would you do? Wednesday night at ten nine central on ABC.
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Wednesday night. What would you do if you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick cash?
He squirted water down there.
We would not do that. I saw you. I'll testify. Drama.
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America's number one.
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Is ABC's The View. You all heard.
It here first. This is going to be must see TV. And so much could happen. That's why it's called the what w. What?
It is now time for the T. If I'm cracking up, you know, Will Ganz is in the building. He is in the studio. I am so excited for this segment. We're talking about some of the buzziest stories people are talking about. Our friend Will is here to spill that tea. We're just talking about Halloween for a little bit.
Yes. And then Romeo.
And Juliet on.
Broadway. Fall. Colors fall. The vibes are.
Immaculate in the.
Studio this morning.
But they always are when Stephanie Ramos is here.
Now get this. Okay.
Just in time for Halloween. Some scary.
Good news for.
Fans of classic horror. Carrie is getting the small screen treatment. The Stephen King novel will be adapted by writer Mike Flanagan, who recently brought to life some other fan favorites in the horror genre, from The Haunting of Hill House to The Fall of the House of usher. Both of those were incredibly creepy and very well done. The series logline for The New Carrie. Describes it as a, quote, bold and timely reimagining of the story of misfit. High schooler Carrie White contending with the alien landscape of public high. School, a bullying scandal that shatters her community and the emergence of. Mysterious telekinetic powers. Such a.
Great movie. Such a classic. I remember watching it as a young girl. Probably watched it too soon because I was frightened for many, many years. But I do love it. So this is. Something to look forward to.
Yeah. And it is like. It does feel like it's a good time to introduce that story to the next generation, you know? So yeah. And I love that we're getting it right in front of Halloween. So perfect. Timely. Timely. All right. Next to Tyler, the creator's new album, Chromophobia, that is set to drop in less than a week. In the meantime, he's giving fans a brand new music video for his song Noid, which is about the paranoia that comes with being a celebrity. Take a look and see if you spot a familiar face in this eerie new video.
Feel it in my aura.
Living between cameras and recorders. I can't afford, you know.
Um. That's me when I see Will all the time. Yeah. It's so accurate. No, they.
Didn't even call me. That's how we run to each other in the hallways of ABC news.
100%.
By the way, I feel a little bad saying. Can you spot the celebrity? Yeah, that was Iowa debris front and center in the video. Tyler's new album, by the way, drops this coming Monday the 28th. Oh, nice. I'm looking forward to that. Yeah, I know, it's so multi-talented. Like, she plays creepy obviously very well. So she is.
So young and so talented. She's she's great.
Emmy Award winner. Right there. All right, another music news. Lady Gaga has confirmed the first single from her next album that is coming this week, people. The song, called disease, will drop on Friday, kicking off her big return to the pop genre after several entries into the jazz collective The Joker star, sharing this cover art for the single on Instagram, showing her face down on the hood of a car with the singles title written upside down in the street. Secret website, by the way, have given Little Monsters a sneak peek at some lyrics, including I can play the doctor, I can cure your disease and if you are a sinner, I can make you believe. The full album should arrive sometime in February. Very excited for that.
Fantastic. Galen Druke the FiveThirtyEight podcast. He's going to be happy about that. He wanted her to return back to pop. So here it is.
Wishes granted. All right. Finally, speaking of wishes granted, the tour is officially winding down. No, I'm saying wish is granted, though, because I was just there. The last 15 shows left in the groundbreaking Taylor Swift Stadium tour are about to occur, as Taylor played Miami over the weekend. Fans eagerly awaiting news about the rerecorded version of reputation. Taylor hinted at it with a brand new outfit for that portion of the show in Miami. Here was my reaction to her new bodysuit. Take a look.
Oh! Oh my God.
So before Taylor announced new versions of 1989 and Speak Now, she also showed up to the Eras Tour in different versions of those costumes. Which is why that new bodysuit is so exciting to people. And I wasn't the only person in Miami, by the way. Billy Joel was there with his family as well. I saw that he previously held the record for attendance in the stadium. Taylor now holds the record, and he says there's nothing wrong with celebrating someone's success. It doesn't take away from your own.
I love it, I love it, I love Taylor, I love you. Thank you so much for being here. I love your bracelets.
I've got one for you.
No way for.
Me to keep. For you to keep.
Are you kidding? Yes. This is my first one. That was your outfit. I love this, thank you. I'll wear it right now. I'm Stephanie Ramos. The news never stops. That is the end of the T, but we will be here for you all day long here at ABC News Live. We'll be right back.
David Muir, ABC's World News Tonight, the most watched newscast in America and honored with the Emmy Award winner for outstanding live news program. More Americans watch World News Tonight with David Muir than any other newscast.
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Hi, I'm Stephanie Ramos in for Diane Macedo today on ABC News Live. First, it is a dash to the finish line. Vice President Harris and former President Trump are targeting battleground states with exactly two weeks until Election Day. We'll take a closer look at where both candidates are focusing their attention for the final stretch. Pushing for a diplomatic solution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel overnight, set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The latest on the ceasefire efforts as the IDF steps up its attacks on Lebanon and October turning up the heat, many states across the country are seeing temperatures in the 80s. How long this record warmth is expected to last, with almost half the country dealing with growing drought. But first, former President Trump and Vice President Harris are hitting battleground states today, with Trump in must win North Carolina and Harris's running mate, Governor Tim Walz in Wisconsin, where early voting begins today. Millions of Americans have already cast their votes with exactly two weeks until Election Day. ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers joins me now for more on this.
Karen, great to see you. Karen Harris sat down with prominent Republican Liz Cheney to reach out to moderate voters and Republicans who don't support Trump. So what's her strategy here and is she getting her message across?
Stephanie, the vice president, was in three states that are very critical for Democrats chances of holding on to the white House, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan yesterday. And it's where she went in those three battleground states. That's also very notable. She was in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Detroit trying to reach out to suburban conservative voters, voters that the Harris campaign feels may not be comfortable right now voting for Donald Trump. And they're trying to peel them away. It might not be a large group, but it might just be enough to cut that margin down and help them win in those three states. Here's what they had to say yesterday at these events with Liz Cheney.
There are moments in the history of our country which challenge us, each of us, to really decide, do we stand for those things that we talk about, including in particular, country over party?
He sat in his dining room and he watched the attack on television. He watched it. People pleaded with him to tell the mob to leave, and he wouldn't. And he watched law enforcement officers be brutally beaten. He watched it. That's a depravity that to me. And, you know, I think to anyone who's taken the oath of office makes someone absolutely unfit ever to be president again.
Country over. Party. Right and wrong. That was the message yesterday from Vice President Harris and former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney. And Stephanie, it was very interesting to hear Liz Cheney say, you don't have to go out there and talk about voting for Vice President Harris. You don't have to agree with her on everything. You can keep your vote quiet. She predicts that there will be millions of Republicans like her who have never voted for a Democrat before, but will do it this time. And that could be the difference in those critical battleground states.
A very clear message from both of them. Now, Vice President Harris is tearing through the so-called blue wall states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Of course, as we get closer to Election Day now, we know that Walz is in Wisconsin today. So what is their message in these final two weeks?
You know, interestingly, we are not going to see Vice President Harris out on the campaign trail today. A rare down day in this final stretch because she is taping two television interviews. But we are seeing the surrogates out there. Obviously, her running mate, Governor Walz in Wisconsin, you're going to see Barack Obama out there as well with him today in Madison, the college town in Wisconsin, trying to drum up the youth vote. Bill Clinton, the former president, also out there on the campaign trail. But the message is really turnout at this point. You mentioned earlier about millions of people already voting. They're trying to get those people to bank their votes right now.
They certainly are busy days for a busy day for those supporting Harris and Walz, of course, but Trump visited the must win state of North Carolina to see the damage from Hurricane Helene, and he repeated some false claims about FEMA's response to victims. He also made baseless claims that Democrats are trying to cheat in the election. So what's the latest there?
Yeah, he continues to try and stoke doubts about the election and where things are going now in the early vote counting and then on Election day. But in terms of what he was saying about the FEMA response, the white House pushed back very strongly yesterday after he said that the response in western North Carolina had been almost nonexistent. They said that it's just flat out not true. There have been millions and millions of dollars already given to the people in that very hard hit part of the state. In fact, the FEMA administrator was in North Carolina yesterday working with state and local officials, and she told ABC news that that aid will continue to go out to people in those hard hit areas. And she said about the former president's claims about what FEMA is doing, it is an absolute lie.
All right. Karen Travers for us at the white House, thank you so much, Karen. The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee. The Republican National Committee are implementing what they call a proactive litigation effort ahead of the election. An RNC official tells ABC news the program has engaged in more than 130 lawsuits in at least 26 states. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris lead attorney says Democrats have intervened in dozens of baseless Republican lawsuits to debunk their lies and defeat them in court. Investigative reporter Olivia Rubin joins me now for more on this. Olivia, great to see you in person. So former President Trump and his allies scramble to challenge his loss with a flurry of lawsuits back in 2020. The last four years you've been talking about this. So how has their strategy changed since then?
Well, I think.
Right now what we're seeing from the RNC and the Trump campaign, who are really working in coordination on this, is to a conscious effort to go to the courts before the.
Election, like you.
Just said there. You know, they say that they're engaged in over 130 election lawsuits. Those are really suits, a lot of them that are looking at targeting.
You know, what.
Votes end.
Up counting. Think about lawsuits that they are in right now trying to set aside or question certain military ballots. That's one group of, you know, ballots that they're going after right now. And really, again, that is about going before the election, not after we spoke to one prominent Trump ally who basically said, good luck getting a judge to overturn the election once it's already done. Well, you have to do is go before to try to.
Get.
Ballots peeled off, the ones that are counted. That's really the effort that we're seeing there. Of course, you know, this is one that has been really excoriated by voting experts and Democrats alike who are saying that really, this is just about pushing conspiracy theories, that this is about misinformation and that this is about sort of laying the framework for challenging the election after it's held in about two weeks. Should former President Trump lose.
And I'm sure Democrats will fight back in court at some point. Are you seeing that at all at this point? Democrats fighting.
Back. We are seeing Democrats sort of coming with that same offensive strategy, if you will. The DNC is right now engaged in about 35 lawsuits around the country. And really, what they are looking to do is push back. You read out that quote from one of Harris's top attorneys, Dana Remus, who said in this internal memo that we obtained debunk their lies and defeat them in court. We spoke to some lawyers that are working for the Harris campaign who really explained that for them, this has been a years long process in the making, Stephanie, which is so fascinating. They talk about how they convened right after Joe Biden took office in 2021 and started planning for the election cycle. The really what happened in 2020 with the lawsuits, with January 6th hanging very much as a cloud over them, and they right now are working. They have, you know, thousands of pages of lawsuits, pre drafted filings, pre-drafted ready to go should they need them. Because like we said, after 2020, we saw that flurry of litigation.
And so far everyone that we speak to really expects that again. Should President Trump lose.
So many legal battles to watch. And you are on it. Thank you so much. Investigative reporter Olivia Rubin was. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This comes as the IDF is escalating operations in Gaza and Lebanon. In Beirut, Lebanon's Ministry of Health says dozens have been injured and at least 13 people are dead, including one child, after an IDF strike near the country's largest public hospital. Israeli forces say they hit a Hezbollah terrorist target near the hospital, but says the building was not targeted. ABC News foreign correspondent Tom Berg is in Tel Aviv for more on this. Tom, thank you so much for joining us. What do we know about today's meeting with Blinken and Netanyahu?
Yes, Stephanie, we know they met a few hours ago. We haven't had a readout from either side. We know from U.S. officials that Blinken on this trip is is going to try and address multiple issues. Gaza, the war in Gaza. Can there be any type of diplomatic solution there looks highly unlikely at the moment. And actually, we're really seeing an escalation in fighting from the IDF in the north of the strip. Lebanon can somehow Israel dial down the temperature there at the moment? Really? It seems like the opposite. The IDF is going after Hezbollah targets in a very, very, very severe way in the last 24, 48 hours, targeting these financial institutions linked to the group. That's a new thing. But also talking about aid into Gaza. That's one issue, I think, that the US administration still feels it has leverage. Clearly, this is the last planned trip of the secretary of state before the US election. So I think part of this trip is, you know, to to show the American public that the administration is still making maximum efforts to try and dial down the temperature in the region, even though things at the moment appear to be moving in the opposite direction.
Right. So many efforts made over the last few months. Let's talk about the ceasefire efforts. Ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel have stalled for months. And now that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead. What are your. What are your thoughts? What are you hearing? Will talks continue?
Well, at the moment, as far as we're aware, there's a bit of a leadership vacuum in terms of Hamas. I mean, Hamas is obviously being, you know, really, really, really damaged and degraded by more than a year of war. Clearly, its leadership has pretty much all of the key figures have been killed now. Look, the Biden administration says that it still believes that Sinwar's death is a bit of an opportunity, potentially, to try and get some kind of diplomatic process moving again. But the reality is that the rhetoric and really reading the signs on both sides, the Israeli government and Hamas, you know, there's no sense that the two sides could actually get even back around the table to try and negotiate those key issues again. I mean, look, it's been months of failed talks, and now Hamas is really saying the fight isn't over. We're not going to lay down our arms. And the Israeli government feel that they're in a strong position after Sinwar's death. They feel they have Hamas where they where they want them, and they are still working militarily to try and take out any remaining fighters in the north of the strip.
And the humanitarian situation there is really, really dire right now.
It's so unfortunate. Hopefully they can there can be some progress made today after that conversation between Blinken and Netanyahu. Thomas Birch for us in Tel Aviv, thank you so much, Tom. Concerns are growing in South Korea after new signs. North Korean troops are training to fight for Russia in Ukraine. A senior government official in South Korea tells ABC news Seoul was considering sending defensive weapons and a monitoring team to assess the threat posed by North Korea. ABC News foreign correspondent Brit Bennett joins us from Hong Kong. For more on this Brit. The U.S. and NATO haven't confirmed North Korea's troop deployment, but they warned against the danger of such a development being true. So how significant is this?
Right. And we've heard from the white House saying it is looking into these reports. The US representative at the UN also said, if true, it marks a dangerous and highly concerning development and an obvious deepening of North Korea and Russian military relations. Now they went on to say they're consulting with US allies and partners on the implications of this closer partnership. Now, North Korea's UN ambassador called the allegations completely groundless, calling them smears. And for their part, the Kremlin have sidestepped these claims entirely. And, of course, this closer involvement is deeply concerning for Ukraine. It is suffering battlefield losses, particularly in the East. And Ukraine says the presence of North Korean troops poses a huge risk of escalation with this war now Stephanie potentially stretching beyond its current borders.
And Britt, we've heard from South Korea, it seems as though South Korea seems to be pressuring Russia not to bring North Korean troops into its war against Ukraine. Officials there, of course, worry Russia may reward North Korea by giving it sophisticated weapons technologies that can boost the North Korea's, the North's nuclear and missile program. So what kind of impact could Russia working more closely with North Korea actually have?
Yeah, I think you're right, Stephanie. One of the big questions is what is North Korea getting in return? South Korea is growing particularly nervous about this development. A senior South Korean official confirming that they are considering sending offensive weapons and a monitoring team on the ground in Ukraine, that would be a big move. You know, Seoul's support has only this far been defensive for Ukraine. South Korea's top spy agency, they released satellite imagery and it appears to show those troops in Russia also claiming that North Korea has decided to send over 10,000 troops to support Russia. But North Korea and Russia signed a mutual security pact in June. We have to remember that. And in that pact, it includes a provision for military assistance. And that's created a real serious fears, particularly in this region, that Russia could also come to North Korea's aid as tensions rise with the South.
And American officials, of course, condemning the growing military alliance. Chief foreign correspondent or sorry foreign correspondent? Britt Clennett, I just promoted you, Britt Clennett for us reporting. Thank you so much, Britt. Millions of people across the country are dealing with record October heat. More than a dozen record highs were tied or broken yesterday, with more states seeing temperatures in the 80s today. Meteorologist Brittany Bell from our ABC station right here in New York City is tracking the forecast for us. Brittany, great to see you. How surprised you're nearby. You're just down the hall right around the corner. How long is this record warmth going to stick around? I've been looking forward to the cozy, warm sweaters and the jackets and they're just just not busting them out yet. Yeah, we are not getting that right now, especially around the northeast.
More of the same for a.
Large part of the country.
Even looking.
Ahead, the latest.
Outlook from the Climate.
Prediction Center.
Is showing that the.
Midsection of the.
Country will.
Likely have above average temperatures heading.
Into the end.
Of this month. I want to give you.
A recap of some of the records that.
Were broken yesterday.
Hartford, Connecticut 84. 84 as well in Newark and Burlington, Vermont. 77 degrees. More records could be challenged today. Philadelphia. A record high possible of 85 this afternoon. 90 in.
Oklahoma City. Look at.
Springfield. Up to 86 degrees.
These numbers are running.
About 10 to 15 degrees above average for this time of the year, through Thursday into Friday. Atlanta could break a record of 82 Friday. Dallas 90 on Thursday. The upper 80s Friday as well and Phoenix up to 98 degrees on.
Top of the heat.
It's just been very dry. There's been drought conditions for a large part of the country, and the driest fall to date on record.
For a couple of spots.
Including Philadelphia. Stephanie.
All right, Brittany, thank you so much. Well, coming up, a new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. The high profile TV personality now coming to the aid of a man convicted in the shaken baby death of his daughter.
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Welcome back to ABC News Live. A new twist in a death penalty showdown in Texas. A man convicted in the shaken baby death of his daughter is facing a new hurdle. ABC's Andrew Dymburt has the latest.
Robert Robertson, the first person facing execution in a case of shaken baby syndrome, was supposed to appear yesterday before a committee of state lawmakers to make a rare appeal for clemency. But that did not happen.
I'm very disappointed to say I don't believe that will happen today.
The attorney general said Roberson could testify only via video, not in person at the Capitol. But lawmakers decided against a virtual appearance, citing his autism and communication challenges. Instead, his high profile supporters, including Doctor Phil, were there fighting to save Roberson's life.
I am 100% convinced that we're facing a miscarriage of justice here. We start executing people in Texas, absent due process, absent fair trial. We are going down a really dangerous road.
Put the jury in the box and let's have a fair trial. That's all we're asking for.
Last Thursday, Roberson's execution for the 2002 death of his two year old daughter, Nikki, was halted at the last moment by the Texas Supreme Court amid new evidence in the case, his lawyers argue. Shaken baby syndrome has now been debunked, and they claim there's evidence Nicky actually died from pneumonia complications.
Texas has on its book a law that allows that once science has shown that something is now junk, or it is no longer applicable, that anyone convicted under that old science can use the law as a vehicle to have their trial either retried or have the issues re-examined.
Once an execution is postponed in Texas, it cannot be rescheduled for 90 days. In the meantime, it's up to that committee of lawmakers to determine what happens next.
Now, until then, there will be a court battle about whether or not he appears for this, this testimony for the House and person. Also, there will be a debate as to whether or not this is something that should receive a new trial.
Our thanks to Andrew Dymburt. A juror from Roberson's initial trial also testified yesterday. She says she would not have voted to convict him given the new evidence. Coming up, more news. Stay with us.
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Wednesday night. Oh my God, are you kidding me? Oh no way. Don Quixote is here. What would you do Wednesday night?
What would you do if you saw someone stage a slip and fall for some quick cash?
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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, if you've missed the NBA, well they are coming back. The NBA season begins tonight as the defending champions Boston Celtics are set to host the New York Knicks. The Celtics are seeking their 19th title, but to win, they'll have to buck recent history. The Warriors in 2018 were the last team to win back to back NBA titles. Let's discuss this this upcoming season with NBA legend and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. He played for the Dallas Mavericks for 21 seasons, leading them to a championship in 2011. Dirk, it is great to see you. Thanks for being with us.
Great to see you.
Thanks for having me.
So, Dirk Boston beat your old team, the Mavs, in the finals last year. but what storylines have your attention going into this new NBA season as it gets ready to tip off?
Well, I think in the East a few. I think obviously Boston will be still the favorite. I think the Knicks making a move for for for towns is super interesting. How is he going to fit in with with that team with Brunson? Um, I think Paul George going to Philadelphia I think is is a great fit. And I think they're going to be there when, when, when it matters. So I think that those are some storylines, obviously in the East that we're all excited to see how it's going to play out in the West. I think, you know, the same teams, you know, the Denver hopefully a Dallas with with adding Klay Thompson will be up there. I think Phoenix last year bringing the big three together with Beal and Durant and Booker didn't really work out. But I think this year they're going to be a better team and they're going to be ready. So the West is also stacked and it's going to be a fun season for sure.
Dirk, you're a trailblazer for international players. You're the first NBA MVP born in Europe. Since then, international players including Luka for the Mavs have become some of the league's best. So how does it make you feel to watch the game become so international?
Yeah, it's been amazing, honestly. When when I first got in the league, late 90s, there were a few Europeans, a few international players, and now it feels like every team has some international players and a lot of Europeans, of course, not only being players, but being franchise players, MVP caliber players. So it's been fun to watch the really the growth of the league, the growth of the game outside of the US. You could see it even in the Olympics this summer in Paris, which which showed some of our best talent in our game with, you know, with the US squeezing out at the end the win. But there were so many great, great plays and great players there, so I think the talent level is incredible. We have 30% now of the players in the NBA are born outside of the US. So that shows you how much the the game the league has grown. And so I'm very proud to be a small part of that. The last two decades.
And I can't wait to see where where the game keeps growing.
Yeah. And you had a front row seat to see how the international game has grown this past summer in Paris. So here in New York, there is a lot of buzz about the Knicks after they traded for Karl-Anthony towns. Towns. Towns. He has called himself the greatest big man shooter of all time. Dirk. You're about seven feet tall. You scored more than 30,000 points and made a jump shot or two in your day. So you're pretty familiar with this. So what do you think for? I mean, best shooting. Best shooting. What are your thoughts on his height? How he shoots and in all this buzz around this young guy?
Yeah, I mean, he's he can definitely play. He's he's fun to watch. He's got a quick little set shot. So I mean I like his confidence level saying he's the best. I would never say I was the best at anything. But if he feels that way and he's got that confidence then that's that's obviously good for him. I think he's going to fit in great. Obviously with Jalen Brunson, who had an unbelievable year last year, and some of their other pieces they have around the toughness that they have and and added his shooting and playmaking. Now he can score on the post. He can get out and obviously spread the floor. And so I think it's going to be great for New York. Um I still like I said pick pick Boston to come out of the East if they stay healthy. But New York is definitely up there at the end of the day.
And the confidence will certainly help him as well. You got to have the confidence, right? You're heading out on the court. You got to think big.
You need it for sure.
Former NBA player and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. Hope I got that right. Thank you so much for being here. My husband's going to be really proud of me for speaking basketball with you today. Thanks for your time. Thanks for.
Having me.
All the best.
Thanks. That'll do it for us. I'm Stephanie Ramos. The news never stops, and neither do we. We have a lot more news coming up right after the break.
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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, you're looking at the white House on this Tuesday, with just two weeks left until Election Day. We will see what happens. And we're going to talk about it right now. Former President Trump and Vice President Harris, they're hitting battleground states today with Trump in must win North Carolina. And Harris his running mate, Governor Tim Walz in Wisconsin, where early voting begins today. Host of the FiveThirtyEight politics podcast, Galen Druke joins me now right here in studio. And Galen, I want to talk about, first of all, great to see you. I know. Well, maybe we'll get to we'll have time to talk about Lady Gaga toward the end of this.
Yeah. Absolutely. Right. Yeah. Can we can talk about politics and we can talk about Lady Gaga?
Yes, yes. Let's see how much time we have. But I want to talk about early voting. So right now, more than 17 million Americans have already voted, with more than 10 million of those votes cast just last week alone. So how significant are these early voting numbers compared to four years ago 2020?
Yeah, it tells me that pandemic era voting strategies have set in to some extent across battleground states. We have seen first day early voting records broken again and again. A lot of Americans are voting early, and what we're seeing in the underlying trends is that it is not as disproportionately democratic this time around. So more Republicans are early voting as well. And that tracks with the message that former President Trump has been delivering to his supporters, which in previous previous elections, he's tried to sow doubt about early voting, saying that it's rigged or that it's not the right way to vote. This time around. Republicans have been saying you should also vote early, and I think they're seeing the results in the numbers. I should still say more Democrats than Republicans are voting early. It's just less disproportionately so. On top of that, the one final thing I'll say on this is that it is more partisan voters and older voters who are casting their ballots early, those younger, more unaffiliated, politically voters, they haven't cast their ballots yet.
So maybe campaigns should be focusing on those folks in the final two weeks because they're still up for grabs, right?
Especially in the battleground states. Let's talk about those battleground states and where things stand right now in states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina and Georgia. What are you seeing?
Yeah. So in Pennsylvania, it's a dead heat. The polls, on average, are tied in North Carolina. Trump leads by about a point. And in Georgia, Trump leads by about a point and a half. Now, I should say that underneath those. Those are the averages right. So there's some disagreement in the polls. Some polls will show a better picture for Harris in Pennsylvania. Some polls will show a better picture for Trump in Georgia and the likes. But I think the general message is that this race is very close in the final stretch.
And because it's so close, Caitlyn, what happens if there's some sort of a tie in the Electoral College? What comes next?
Stephanie it gets.
Complicated, I know, but it gets.
Complicated. So of course the Electoral College decides the election. So just because we have a super close race doesn't mean we're headed towards the likelier outcome of a tie. According to the FiveThirtyEight forecast, there's a 1 in 300 chance that there's a tie, and the states would have to move in slightly different directions than they're currently moving to get to that point. If we do. However, the House decides the election, but it's not like all 435 members of the House get a say. It goes state by state. So all 50 state delegations have to cast a ballot for one of the two major candidates. The Constitution provides for they can pick between three, but likely in this case two. And so you have to get 26 House votes. And today Republicans control 26 House delegations after this coming election, it's likely that that will remain the case. So if there were a tie, it seems likely that the House would give the election to Donald Trump. And then the Senate, of course, picks the vice president, and it goes the same way.
So every senator has every senator has a vote by state. So you have to get 26 votes in the Senate as well to pick the vice president. Things could get very complicated, but fingers crossed, Stephanie, we never get to that place. Exactly.
I was just going to say hopefully we don't get there. We'll see how it all plays out. Thank you so much. Host of the FiveThirtyEight podcast, Galen Druke. Thank you so much for being here. Next time we'll chat about Lady Gaga.
Yes, indeed. We'll save time.
All right. Well, the Trump campaign and Republican groups are spending tens of millions of dollars on ads targeting transgender issues in the final weeks leading up to the election. A recent ad features Vice President Harris voicing support for taxpayer funded health care for immigrants in federal custody, including transgender care. Take a listen.
Surgery for.
Prisoners.
For prisoners.
Every transgender.
Inmate in.
The prison system.
Would have access.
Was for they them.
President Trump is for you.
I'm Donald J. Trump and I approve this message.
Let's bring in ABC news Deputy political director Avery Harper and political enterprise reporter for the L.A. times, Noah Bierman, to talk about this. Thank you both for being here and speaking with us. Noah, I want to start with you. Media tracking service Adimpact reports the Trump campaign and Republican groups have spent more than $21 million on these ads. They've played them more than 30,000 times in many instances during sporting events. So why do you believe it? Is the campaign putting so much time and money into this?
Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting.
If you watch any football, college or pro, you've likely seen these ads more than once. I know I have and and you know, the Trump and the Trump campaign have said the economy is the top issue. Immigration is a secondary issue. This doesn't really rank that high on the issues list, but it's one that, you know, really arrests people when you see these ads. And it's really intended to sort of bring the culture wars back in. There's a few reasons for that. One is that the Trump campaign is heavily focused on young men, and they feel like this is an issue that resonates with them. And secondly, they're trying to create a broader idea that Harris is an out of touch liberal. And they feel that that will bring in a broader group of people around that idea. But, you know, it's questionable. 2022. There was a lot of campaigning on the culture wars, the Anti-woke campaigns, and a lot of them were actually unsuccessful.
And obviously, as we get closer and closer to the election, these ads are going to ramp up. That's expected. Avery, the New York Times reports during Trump's four years in office, the Bureau of Prisons provided gender affirming treatments for a small group of inmates who requested it. Harris actually brought this up during her interview with Fox News when she was asked about the issue. So does that matter to voters? Is that going to really make much of an impact? Her stance on that?
Well, listen again, like Noah mentioned, I think when you look at the wide array of issues that voters are using to determine who they're going to cast their ballots for, this does not rank very high. And so, yes, we did see Kamala Harris on Fox, which I think is important to note, raise the fact that, you know, during the Trump presidency that this sort of care was available to those who were inmates and detained by the Bureau of Prisons, that ranged from things like emotional therapy and counseling and hormone therapy to even surgery, and that she says, she would follow the law as well, should she be elected as president of the United States. But she said that one time in one interview on Fox News. These are ads that are playing over and over and over again. Listen, I don't even live in a swing state, but I've seen those ads numerous times on air and in a race that is going to be decided by, you know, a very small number of voters.
Look, these margins, particularly in these swing states, are razor thin. These campaigns on both sides are going to be using anything they can to try and turn voters out to come to the polls. And, you know, for the Trump campaign that has been about utilizing the fear of what could happen under a Kamala Harris presidency to try and mobilize voters to the polls, we'll see what happens.
Exactly. Avery. And you said it trying to utilize every minute they can both campaigns to get as many votes as possible as we head toward the election just two weeks away. Noah, I want to ask you, a 2021 Marist Center poll found 61% of Americans said transgender athletes should only be allowed to play on teams that match their birth gender. This has been a huge issue for years in right wing media spaces, so how much of an impact could this issue have on the outcome of this election?
Yeah, I mean, the question is, is this something that really, you know, juices up the base, excites people who are already in Trump's camp to show up at the polls? It seems definitely geared to that. And then the other question is, you know, this is an area where even people who might be more sympathetic to trans rights would probably have questions the polling suggests. So can you get a slice of them? Can you just sort of reinforce the image you're already trying to paint? That Harris is is very, very liberal. And I think that's where that's the big question is and that's where it's really aimed at.
And Avery, this isn't an issue like the economy or immigration. And you said it. There's so many, So many issues to discuss. But it's not like those topics that people say are most important to them. So why do Republicans think it could actually swing voters?
Right. Again, I think that it's because they know that the margins are razor thin. And in particularly in some of these swing states, you know, when you look at the issues that folks care about, there was a recent Gallup poll and they asked, you know, folks about a wide number of issues, transgender rights being one of them, transgender rights. They had the largest number of folks that say that it is not important to their vote. You know how they're going to cast those ballots come Election Day. And so I think, you know, it's important to put that in context. I think most people are going to be looking at issues like the economy and inflation to determine who they're going to vote for.
Avery Harper and Noah Bierman, thank you both so much for your time. I want to bring in transgender activist and author Raquel Willis for more on this. Raquel, thank you so much for joining us. What was your reaction when you first saw this Trump campaign ad? Painting Harris as a is an extreme liberal. That is a danger to conservatism.
I found it very disgusting. I mean, I think it's an expensive tactic to take cheap shots at the trans community. We've seen time and time again, the GOP paint so many different communities on the margins as villains in America's story. We've seen it with conversations around migrants. We've seen it around conversations around our Haitian fam and so many folks who are making decisions about their own bodies, including having abortions. So it's not surprising, but I want it to be clear that we can't just let this rhetoric exist. And I think that that's what the Harris campaign has been doing for a long time, is just letting this kind of anti-trans rhetoric exist and hoping it will dissipate. We have to be clear that it's disgusting that trans folks are being demonized. Incarcerated folks deserve holistic health care. Migrants deserve holistic health care, and trans folks deserve holistic health care like everyone else in this country.
And Raquel, Vice President Harris was asked about this in an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News, and she said she will follow the law, just as former President Trump did on this issue when he was in office. So I want to play some of that moment.
So are you still in support.
Of using taxpayer dollars to help prison inmates or detained illegal aliens to transition to another gender?
I will follow the law. And it's a law that Donald Trump actually followed. You're probably familiar.
With.
Now, it's a public report that under Donald Trump's administration, these surgeries were available to on a medical necessity.
Basis to people in the.
Federal prison.
System. And I think.
Frankly, that ad from the Trump campaign is a little bit of like throwing.
You know, stones when you're living in a glass house.
Baier responded that no surgeries happened in Trump's presidency. So, Raquel, what did you make of her answer?
I thought it was okay, but I think that we could have gone further. I don't think that it's okay to paint trans communities issues, incarcerated folks issues as remote. I don't think that that helps in kind of picturing this bigger. We, as some of my friends over at Asos Communications remind us to. We have to be clear, everyone deserves holistic health care. If people are being incarcerated, we have to make sure that they are not being tortured, that they have access to the things that they need. But again, I think that the Trump campaign has made it clear time and time again, they will do whatever they can hit below the belt to try and misguide American voters. And we can't let that happen. We have to call out the misinformation and disinformation whenever we see it and correct that.
And while we have you, I have to ask, what do you say to parents who don't want their daughters, for instance, competing in sports against athletes assigned male at birth? That's been a big talker for for many, many years and especially recently, that's ramped up quite a bit. So what do you what do you think?
I think that trans folks deserve to pursue our passions like anyone else, right? We know that people have all types of experiences, all types of bodies, and there are also so many barriers to participating in sports. So all of this focus on trans folks. When there's such a small number of trans folks who have the opportunity to access sports, is really disgusting. We should be talking about barriers like economic barriers to participating in sports. You know, there are so many other things, and I think that it's really disgusting that trans youth are living in a time when, of course, there's more visibility than ever before, but there's also more targets on our backs than ever before. This is not a problem in sports. Bodies across the country and globally have settled the discussion around trans folks participating in competitions.
Transgender activist and author Raquel Willis, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Coming up, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to return to the field this week after his latest concussion. What he's saying about his decision to keep playing.
When you're 61 years old, you have very.
Few opportunities to change your life. This time, I have to be ready for everything. This is about.
Everybody like me. The only thing you see, your future, which is not what I felt like for a really long time.
Because you every. I don't feel invisible.
Now.
To me. Trick or treat.
When I flick this switch, there'll be a horrible noise and a terrible odor.
Will it hurt?
Pain like you've never known. Oh.
This is risky. I am satisfied.
What? Are you scared?
This is happiness. We love Halloween. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Got me.
He's a bit silly.
Turning the machine off. Do you feel good?
Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, WNBA players are opting out of their collective bargaining agreement to demand higher pay. The league is coming off of one of its most successful seasons ever. Now, the players association says it is time for the players to claim their rightful share. ABC's Rhiannon ally has the latest.
The New York Liberty are WNBA champions.
Just one day after the New York Liberty won the WNBA championship. A major decision from the league's players.
Breaking news the.
Players union opting out of its collective bargaining agreement early to demand higher pay and better training facilities. Here's Clark. That one rattles through. Women's basketball just enjoyed a record smashing year. Stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese driving viewership to all time highs, and a new media rights deal could earn the league $200 million per year.
Increases in attendance by 48%, increases in merchandise sales by 600% compared to last year.
But the league's big stars are not earning big money. Clark and Reese made about $70,000 salaries in their rookie season.
I just hope y'all know the WNBA don't pay my bills at all.
For comparison, the number one draft pick in the NBA last year made more than $12 million in his rookie season. The highest earning WNBA player makes about 2% of that. The president of the players association says opting out of the contract isn't just about bigger paychecks, it's about claiming our rightful share of the business we've built. Many players compete overseas in the off season to boost their income. Others cash in on endorsements. Caitlin Clark reportedly signed a $28 million contract with Nike, but the Players Association says it's ready to take a stand, saying we are ready to lead transformational change that goes beyond women's sports.
Rhiannon. Thank you. The players in league will have to sort out a new contract by the end of next season, or they risk a lockout that stops playing. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to return to the field this week after his latest concussion. He was sidelined for a month after taking a big hit playing against the bills earlier this season. It's his third concussion since joining the NFL in 2020. Now he's defying calls to retire, saying he's willing to play the odds. ABC's Victor Oquendo has the latest.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returning to football after being sidelined for weeks because of his latest concussion.
I've been symptom free the next from from the next day after the game on.
Medical experts clearing Tagovailoa to return to practice Wednesday, aiming to suit up against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday.
The medical experts have deemed it safe for him to return.
So.
I don't mess with timelines or try to.
Overcook.
Or forecast. You know, you lean on experts.
Despite growing calls for him to retire after suffering multiple concussions, Tagovailoa determined to keep playing.
I love this game and I love it to the death of me.
That's it. He suffered his third known concussion in the NFL on this play one month ago. Tua steps up. He's going to run for the first down and takes a shot at the six yard line, his fingers appearing to curl going into what is known as the fencing response, an immediate sign of neurological trauma. During the 2022 season, he suffered two concussions, including this one Christmas Day. Tagovailoa's head appearing to bounce off the turf on Monday, seeming to downplay the risks of returning to play.
There's just risking any and everything. I'm willing to play the odds.
The 26 year old also said he would not wear a Guardian cap, a soft shelled helmet cover that some experts say helps protect against concussions, as worn by teammate Devon Chan in last Sunday's game against the Colts. Will you wear a Guardian cap? Nope.
Why? Personal choice.
What we are concerned about is not whether necessarily or not He can go back to play now. But what about his future? Repetitive concussions. Repetitive sub concussions can translate to long term outcomes, and the more people play football, the worse outcomes later in life.
Do I want to be, you know, known for this? No, I don't, but that's the cards I've been dealt.
We put one of the Guardian caps on top of this helmet. You see all that extra padding there? Some experts say this can reduce the force of impact. Tua says that he will not be wearing one of these, calling it a personal choice, but he knows he needs to play smart. Stephanie.
All right, Victor, thank you so much. Coming up, little monsters. Listen up. The must see news about Lady Gaga's next album that is coming up in the T. Stay with us.
Yo, partner. We're not partners. I'm the detective.
And you are the consultant. I see you brought your baby.
To a crime scene. She is just spectating.
Here's a single mom with three kids pretending to be a cop. I am not pretending. I spot things that detectives miss. I still think my theory is flimsy.
That big brain of hers is going to help us close a lot of cases. I'm just out here super.
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Your podcasts, start here. 14 days to go and more Americans turn to David Muir and World News Tonight than any other newscast. The race a dead heat with so much at stake. Turn to David Muir on election night and ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir, the number one newscast in America.
Hey, good morning America. Every day of your life bring joy.
Good morning America. Good morning America. Are you ready?
They are ready. Covering the biggest events in the country right now. There's a lot going on here this morning.
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Too. Michael. George. Claire.
Ginger. Up your life. It's lunchtime in America. So what are we serving up?
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It is now time for the tea. If I'm cracking up, you know Will Ganz is in the building. He is in the studio. I am so excited for this segment. We're talking about some of the buzziest stories people are talking about. Our friend Will is here to spill that tea. We're just talking about Halloween for a little bit. Yes.
And then Romeo and Juliet on Broadway. Fall. Colors. Fall. The vibes are immaculate in the studio this morning. But they always are when Stephanie Ramos is here. Now get this. Okay. Just in time for Halloween. Some scary good news for fans of classic horror. Carrie is getting the small screen treatment. The Stephen King novel will be adapted by writer Mike Flanagan, who recently brought to life some other fan favorites in the horror genre. From The Haunting of Hill House to The Fall of the House of usher. Both of those were incredibly creepy and very well done. The series logline for The New Carrie describes it as a, quote, bold and timely reimagining of the story of misfit high schooler Carrie White contending with the alien landscape of public high school, a bullying scandal that shatters her community, and the emergence of mysterious telekinetic powers. Such a.
Great movie. Such a classic. I remember watching it. I was a young girl. Probably watched it too soon because I was frightened for many, many years. But I do love it. So this is something to look forward to. Yeah.
And it is like it does feel like it's a good time to introduce that story to the next generation, you know? So yeah. And I love that we're getting it right in front of Halloween. So perfect. Timely. Timely. All right. Next to Tyler, the creator's new album, Chromophobia, that is set to drop in less than a week. In the meantime, he's giving fans a brand new music video for his song Noid, which is about the paranoia that comes with being a celebrity. Take a look and see if you spot a familiar face in this eerie new video.
Feel it in my aura.
Living between cameras and recorders.
I can't afford, you know.
Um.
That's me when I see Will all the time. Yeah, it's so accurate.
No, they didn't even call me. That's how we run to each other in the hallways of ABC news. 100%. By the way, I feel a little bad saying. Can you spot the celebrity? Yeah, that was Iowa debris front and center in the video. Tyler's new album, by the way, drops this coming Monday the 28th. Oh, nice. I'm looking forward to that. Yeah. I was so multi-talented. Like, she plays creepy, obviously very well. So she is.
So young and so talented. She's. She's great.
Emmy Award winner. Right there. All right, another music news. Lady Gaga has confirmed the first single from her next album that is coming this week, people. The song, called disease will drop on Friday, kicking off her big return to the pop genre after several entries into the jazz collective the Joker star, sharing this cover art for the single on Instagram, showing her face down on the hood of a car with the single's title written upside down in the street. Secret website, by the way, have given Little Monsters a sneak peek at some lyrics, including I could play the doctor, I can cure your disease and if you are a sinner, I could make you believe. The full album should arrive sometime in February. Very excited for that.
Fantastic. Galen Druke the FiveThirtyEight podcast. He's going to be happy about that. He wanted her to return back to pop. So here it is.
Wishes granted. All right. Finally, speaking of wishes granted, the tour is officially winding down. No, I'm saying wish is granted, though, because I was just there. The last 15 shows left in the groundbreaking Taylor Swift Stadium tour are about to occur, as Taylor played Miami over the weekend. Fans eagerly awaiting news about the rerecorded version of reputation. Taylor hinted at it with a brand new outfit for that portion of the show in Miami. Here was my reaction to her new bodysuit. Take a look.
Oh, God. Oh my God.
So before Taylor announced new versions of 1989 and Speak Now, she also showed up to the Eras Tour in different versions of those costumes. Which is why that new bodysuit is so exciting to people. And I wasn't the only person in Miami, by the way. Billy Joel was there with his family as well. I saw that he previously held the record for attendance in the stadium. Taylor now holds the record, and he says there's nothing wrong with celebrating someone's success. It doesn't take away from your own.
I love it, I love it, I love Taylor, I love you. Thank you so much for being here. I love your bracelets.
I've got one for you.
No way for.
Me to keep. For you to keep. Are you kidding?
Yes. This is my first one.
That was your outfit.
I love this, thank you. You're welcome. Right now, I'm Stephanie Ramos. The news never stops. That is the end of the T, but we will be here for you all day long here at ABC News Live. We'll be right back.
This ship is heaven. There should be no guilt.
On a pleasure cruise. Doctor, it's your job.
To keep everybody alive. No pulse. She's in v-fib. One. Two.
Three. Clear. I have a pulse.
You're gonna be okay.
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Good afternoon. I'm Stephanie Ramos in for Diane Macedo today on ABC News Live. First dash to the finish line. Vice President Harris and former President Trump are targeting battleground states with exactly two weeks until Election Day. We'll take a closer look at where both candidates are focusing their attention for the final stretch. Pushing for a diplomatic solution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel overnight, set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The latest on the cease fire efforts as the IDF steps up its attacks on Lebanon and October turning up the heat. Many states across the country are seeing temperatures in the 80s. How long this record warmth is expected to last, with almost half the country dealing with growing drought. But first, former President Trump and Vice President Harris are hitting battleground states today with Trump and must win North Carolina and Harris's running mate, Governor Tim Walz in Wisconsin, where early voting begins today. Millions of Americans have already cast their votes with exactly two weeks until Election Day. ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers joins me now, along with ABC news senior reporter Katherine Faulders, to talk about this.
Karen, I want to start with you. Harris sat down with prominent Republican Liz Cheney to reach out to moderate voters and Republicans who don't necessarily support Trump. So what is her strategy there?
Yeah, she was campaigning in three very critical battleground states for Democrats yesterday Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. And Stephanie, it was all about where she was in those states. That was so important yesterday. The suburbs of Philadelphia, the suburbs of Detroit and in Milwaukee. This is important because the Harris campaign really believes that there are Republicans in those areas who are not thrilled with the idea of voting for Donald Trump this time around. And they want to say to them, it's okay. You may not agree with Vice President Harris on everything. You may not agree with her on many things, but you can join this campaign. So they bring out Liz Cheney, a former Republican congresswoman, the most prominent Republican right now, perhaps out there on the campaign trail for the vice president who said this is about country over party, it's about right and wrong and which candidate will support and uphold the Constitution. Stephanie, Liz Cheney said that you don't have to talk about your vote. You can go out there and be quiet and vote for Vice President Harris.
And she predicted that there will be millions of Republicans who will be casting votes like that. The Harris campaign certainly hopes that she is very right.
In a way. Liz Cheney telling them it is okay to to vote in that direction. Kathryn, let's talk about the former president's trip to McDonald's. Harris is criticizing Trump's appearance at a McDonald's and and going after his reluctance to raise the federal minimum wage. She said an increase would help Americans, including those that that work at McDonald's. So how big of a deal is this in the race?
Well, look, I think Harris is obviously capitalizing on Trump's frankly, political stunt at that McDonald's and using it as a way to talk about policy and how she would change the minimum wage. She's called the minimum wage poverty pay, for example. So while Trump has been at McDonald's, you see him right there. His trip was to essentially spotlight what he says is, is Harris essentially not working at McDonald's? She has said that that's not true. She did work at McDonald's. Take a listen to how she responded to what Trump was doing yesterday.
There is a big difference between Donald Trump and me on a.
Number of issues.
Including this, where I absolutely believe we must.
Raise minimum wage and that hard working Americans, whether they're working in McDonald's or.
Anywhere else, should.
Have at least.
The ability to be.
Able to take care of their family and take care of themselves in a way that allows them to actually.
Be able to sustain their needs.
So again, capitalizing, of course, on on the policy and frankly, how she would change the federal minimum wage, which she's called poverty pay. Of course, this is the latest McDonald's is essentially the latest in this battle to reach those low wage voters.
Yeah. Another hot topic. Karen, I want to talk about Senator Bernie Sanders and how he's trying to support the Harris campaign. President Biden and Bernie Sanders are touting nearly $1 billion in prescription drug savings for Medicare employees or enrollees today. So what are you watching out for there? What's the strategy there between those two?
You know, the president today will be out in New Hampshire with Senator Bernie Sanders. New Hampshire is not one of the seven critical battleground states. So it's notable that you don't see the president out there touting this message about cost savings to seniors in Pennsylvania, in Michigan or Wisconsin. But he is touting something that the Harris campaign would very much like voters to be paying attention to. He's going to be talking about the fact that 1.5 million Medicare enrollees saved $1 billion on prescription drugs in the first half of this year because of the Inflation Reduction Act, a signature piece of legislation from the Biden-Harris administration. They're also going to talk about how next year, when new things go into effect, that number will go up even more and the savings will be even greater. Bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, helping everyday Americans, something the president likes to talk about. Certainly the Harris campaign wants to as well. But again, notable he's not doing this in one of the critical battleground states.
Definitely notable. So much to talk about as we get closer and closer to Election Day. Catherine, let's talk about Elon Musk and his participation in all of this. Former Republican advisers and officials sent a letter to the Department of Justice and the Pennsylvania attorney general. They're calling for an investigation into Elon Musk's million dollar giveaway to registered voters who sign his political action committees petition, and that's according to two sources telling ABC news. So tell us, how significant is this?
Well, look, there's questions, obviously about the legality associated with what Musk is doing. And that's what these Republicans are asking, whether it be Pennsylvania or the Department of Justice to look into. We know that the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, has called this deeply concerning, he said. It's something that law enforcement could take a look at. So we know that there are calls for law enforcement to weigh in here, and of course, also to the Department of Justice. As you mentioned, it's unlikely that the Department of Justice will say something publicly on this, this close to an election. But we'll have to wait and see.
All right. We certainly will. Katherine Faulders and Karen Travers for us there. Thank you so much. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier today. This comes as the IDF is escalating operations in Gaza and Lebanon. In Beirut, Lebanon's Ministry of Health says dozens have been injured in at least 13 people are dead, including one child, after an IDF strike near the country's largest public hospital. Israeli forces say they hit a Hezbollah terrorist target near the hospital, but says the building was not targeted. ABC News foreign correspondent Tom Berg is in Tel Aviv for more on this. Tom, great to have you with us. U.S. officials say Blinken will have a lot to say about this trip, and about the need for a diplomatic end to the conflict in Lebanon. Are we anywhere near that moment?
On the face of it, no, Stephanie. I mean, look, what we're seeing from the IDF in the last 2440 eight hours is a series of escalations. Late on Sunday night, we saw strikes near to Beirut International Airport. Last night we saw a strike. The IDF says has admitted close to a hospital, killing several people, including a child. And the IDF is going after Hezbollah's financial arm. They're like banks, effectively buildings, branches of a kind of financial institution, which the IDF says is funding Hezbollah's activities and therefore it's going after it. So, in a way, the war in in Lebanon. Lebanese officials say more than 60 people were killed and more than 200 people injured yesterday alone.
And Tom, we understand that the top of the agenda for Blinken is also addressing the war in Gaza. But ceasefire talks have stalled, as you know. So how is the U.S. working to get negotiations up and running again?
I think right now there isn't a prospect. You know, the immediate term of negotiations happening, um, you know, between the Israeli government and Hamas, the Israeli government. Quite clearly right now, from all the conversations we're having and from what we're seeing on the ground in northern Gaza, where they're mounting a very significant operation, there's a really miserable picture for civilians up there. We're seeing a lot of civilian casualties. You know, the IDF is committed to trying to take out remaining pockets of Hamas resistance in the north right now. And the Israeli government is saying there can only be a ceasefire if Hamas capitulates and lays down its arms, and Hamas is saying that it will fight on. I think what the US does have leverage when it comes to Gaza in terms of these talks on Blinken's trip is, you know, the day after. U.S. officials are saying, you know, we are talking about what will come after the war when it does finish. You know, we need to prepare for that moment and also the issue of aid.
Remember, just over a week ago, the US sent a letter to the Israeli government saying you have to increase the amount of aid going into northern Gaza. Very, very, very little is getting in right now according to the UN. And if you don't in the next month or so, well, then we might, we might restrict arms supplies to you. But the big but is obviously the US election that's coming up. And really you know, there's little chance of any concrete deal either on Lebanon or on Gaza before the US election.
Everyone hoping for some sort of resolve in the near future. Tom Soufi Berge for us in Tel Aviv. Thank you so much. Concerns are growing in South Korea after new signs. North Korean troops are training to fight for Russia in Ukraine, a senior government official in South Korea tells ABC news. Seoul was considering sending defensive weapons and a monitoring team to assess the threat posed by North Korea. ABC News foreign correspondent Britt Clennett has the latest from Hong Kong. Hi there Britt.
Stephanie. The white House says it is looking into these reports, and a US representative at the UN said if true, it marks a dangerous and highly concerning development and an obvious deepening. They said of the North Korean and Russian military relationship. Now they are consulting with U.S. allies on the implications of this dangerous move. That's what the UN representative said. Now, North Korea's UN ambassador called the allegations groundless smears. And for their part, the Kremlin has sidestepped the claims. And, of course, this closer involvement is very concerning for Ukraine, which is suffering battlefield losses in the east Ukraine, saying the presence of North Korean troops really poses a huge risk of escalation with the war potentially stretching beyond its current borders. Now South Korea growing particularly nervous over the development, too. A senior South Korean official confirming they are considering actually sending offensive weapons and a monitoring team on the ground in Ukraine. Now, Seoul's support this far during this war has only been defensive for Ukraine, so it does mark quite a significant change.
Now, South Korea's top spy agency, they released satellite imagery appearing to show those North Korean troops in Russia, also claiming that North Korea has decided to send over 10,000 troops to support Russia. But North Korea and Russia, we have to remember, remember, signed a mutual security pact in June, and that includes a provision for military assistance that's created serious fears here, particularly in this region, that Russia could also come to North Korea's aid as tensions rise on the Korean peninsula. Stephanie.
Foreign correspondent for us in Hong Kong. Thank you Brit. Millions of people across the country here in the U.S. are dealing with record October heat. More than a dozen record highs were tied or broken yesterday, with more states seeing temperatures in the 80s today. Yes, we are at the end of October seeing those 80s. Meteorologist Brittany Bell, from our ABC station right here in New York City is tracking the forecast for us. Brittany. It is great to see you live and in person. How long is this record warmth going to stick around?
Well, Stephanie, some areas could still break record highs lasting Friday potentially into this weekend.
And more records.
Could be challenged and broken today. Look at Philly. A record of 85 is possible. 86 in Springfield, Oklahoma City, up to 90 degrees. Even through the end of this week, Atlanta could break a record of 82 on Friday and Dallas 90 Thursday 89 Friday. More of the same in Oklahoma City. Phoenix getting close to 100 degrees.
Now, on.
Top of the heat, it has been very dry, Almost half of the country is officially under a drought, and that is getting closer to record territory. For some cities. It has been the driest fall on record to date for Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Austin and Los Angeles. Angeles. Look at Philly so far, just close to three quarters of an inch of rain, well below the average of 6.7in in Minneapolis. The normal is close to five inches more of the same for Austin and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, we're not seeing any relief any time soon. For the northeast, the latest outlook is showing.
Below normal rainfall totals more of the same for.
The eastern half of the.
Country.
But things could change for the northern tier with more rain coming as we.
Head into.
Next week. Stephanie.
Thank you so much, Brittany, and we have some breaking news to get to right now. The former CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch and two others have been arrested as part of a criminal sex trafficking investigation by the FBI. Mike Jeffries was accused in civil lawsuits filed in 2023 of sexually exploiting young men at parties he held with his partner. Jefferies is credited with turning Abercrombie and Fitch into a fashion powerhouse, but has come under criticism in the past few years on accusations of discrimination and oversexualizing male models. Jefferies attorney says he will respond to the allegations after the indictment is unsealed and when appropriate. ABC news legal contributor Brian Buchmeyer is joining me now for more on this. Brian, great to see you. We're expecting to hear more at a press conference around noon eastern today. But what developments in the investigation do you think led to this arrest? So many years later?
Absolutely. But first and foremost, as a disclosure, I have to say that I did.
Work for Abercrombie's sister company, Hollister Co, as a model, both in terms of providing service for like, finding clothes. I was one of the people standing outside with less clothes than you usually see me now, interviewing people and talking to people that come in. And also I modeled for the bag, so I was not a part of this in any way, shape or form, just kind of giving that disclosure. But in terms of coming next, I think what's next is we're going to potentially see what the charges are, likely sex trafficking, see how many victims there are. And this could be, I think, very similar to what we saw with Sean Combs in the s.d.n.y. That one civil lawsuit kind of opens the floodgates to more civil lawsuits, more charges, more allegations. And I think this is just a Pandora's box waiting to, to open.
So, you know, we're expecting more details around noon today. But what comes next here? What could be the next next steps for for these individuals.
So next would be Jeffrey Smith. And then anyone else connected with this case. They're going to be brought to the Eastern District of New York. I think this is specifically in Central Islip in Long Island. And then they will have those charges read to them. Now, when it comes to sex trafficking, there is a presumption of detention. And so there may be a request that bail is set here. It's going to be very interesting to see whether or not it is or is not. If bail is set that then Jefferies and Smith and others will be incarcerated while the case rolls out. Again, similar to what we're seeing in Sean Combs. If bail is not set, that'd be somewhat shocking. I think that'd be shocking to not only our viewers, but also to Sean Combs, because he's going to try to piggyback off of that argument. But I think we're going to see a very similar case to what we saw of Sean Combs, R Kelly, and even in some senses, Harvey Weinstein and Brian.
I do want to switch gears just a bit. Members of the Central Park Five have filed a defamation suit against former President Donald Trump, accusing him of spreading, quote, false, misleading and defamatory statements about their 1989 case during the September 10th ABC news presidential debate. Now, Trump was responding to a statement from Vice President Kamala Harris in which she revisited his full page op ed in The New York Times that called for the execution of the Central Park five when he said the following. Take a listen.
And they come up with things like what she just said, going back many, many years when a lot of people, including Mayor Bloomberg, agreed with me on the Central Park five. They admitted they said they pled guilty. And I said, well, if they pled guilty, they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately. And if they pled guilty, then they pled not guilty.
Attorneys representing the five men say they are seeking monetary damages over his statements, which they say have caused them, quote, severe emotional distress and reputational damage. So, Brian, how significant is this lawsuit and and how can we expect to see this play out in court?
Yeah. So the definition comes in the fact that the Central Park five or the exoneration or Exonerated five as they now go by, never pled guilty. They always stood by the fact that they were innocent. And I think another part of the clip that Donald Trump said is that the person ultimately passed away, or the victims ultimately passed away. We always know of the jogger. But the Central Park Five were also accused of violent crimes within Central Park as well robberies and assaults as well. But no one died. And so those two statements being that they pled guilty and that people died, or at least someone died, would be defamatory in terms of going forward. It's very easy. We saw what Donald Trump said. We know what the facts are. He may have been correct to assume facts in the past, but some decades later he should know better and that's defamatory. So going forward, we're going to see what type of damages these men claim they had. We're going to see legal arguments going back and forth as to whether or not it was defamatory.
I think it pretty much is. But I think the issue is going to be here is what kind of damages actually came about from those words. We all know who the Exonerated Five are. We know that they were not guilty. We know that DNA exonerated them. And so the question is what damages do flow from this statement? And I think that's going to be the battleground in how they they argue, but I don't think it's going to affect anyone from a political standpoint. We know Donald Trump's opinion, we know who these men are. And I think if this is a deciding issue for you, I think there's a lot more other issues. You can decide as to whether or not or who you're going to vote for.
Well said Brian, so many issues to tackle. Thank you so much. ABC news legal contributor Brian Buchmeyer for us. Thank you. Coming up, new details in the search for a missing Texas mother where authorities are now searching for her body.
What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?
An operation to capture ISIS fighters.
This is our combat operation center. We're approaching the gate now. Militants came in from 4 or 5 different directions. Operational nuclear reactors. So you have a couple loaded and ready to go.
The house is destroyed.
But the flag, there's not a.
Tear in it.
Not a tear in it.
How important is this label right here? Made in USA. Look at your smile. You're proud of this, I love this. Great work. Hi. Where are you? Where are you? I appreciate you.
Thank you. Good to.
Meet you.
It's me. David. David? Yes, yes.
I'm David Muir.
I know who you are. You do? Every night.
ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir is America's most watched newscast.
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Now streaming 911 is delightfully wild.
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911 Thursdays on ABC and stream on Hulu.
So what's better than Halloween costumes and candy?
How about having a costume so creatively cool that it gets you a trip to GMA?
We are looking for families, children, friends with the most creative, cute, scary costumes in America. So scan this QR code to see how to share your costume, photos or videos. And who knows.
You could end up right here live on GMA Halloween morning for all of America to see. Don't wait, wait. I like this one. You know.
Welcome back. The search for a missing Texas woman who disappeared after an alleged altercation with her husband is expanding. Police say officers are looking in a wooded area outside San Antonio for signs of Suzanne Simpson. Her husband is being held on unrelated charges with a $2 million bond. ABC's janai Norman has the latest.
A new twist in.
The mysterious.
Disappearance of Texas mom Suzanne.
Simpson, who.
Vanished.
Earlier this month.
Authorities are now focusing search efforts on a wooded area.
Just off a highway outside San Antonio.
Authorities combed.
Through a nearby.
Landfill for days, searching for the.
Missing 51 year old.
Mother of four.
But didn't find any trace of Simpson.
So you search and follow leads as they come along, and however long it takes you to exhaust them.
Officials releasing this.
The last.
Known photo.
Of the San Antonio realtor outside.
A dinner club.
She attended with.
Her husband.
The photo was taken just hours before reports alleging she and her husband, Brad, got into a physical altercation near their home. An affidavit.
Describing.
A neighbor telling authorities they heard screams.
And actually.
Saw the couple.
Fighting. Adding that an hour later they saw Brad Simpson driving off in his truck, returning an hour or two later.
I don't understand why it happened. It wasn't part of their life.
Suzanne's mother, Barbara, says she spoke with her.
Daughter just an.
Hour before she was reportedly last seen.
She called me up and told me the things that Brad had done to her physically.
Simpson's husband, who reported her missing.
Later arrested, has not been charged in her disappearance, but he is facing charges that include family violence and unlawful restraint and a federal gun.
Charge.
For the unregistered short barreled rifle. Investigators say they recovered while searching the home. Police say he's been uncooperative with the investigation. Brad Simpson's attorney telling.
The San Antonio.
Express.
News his.
Client intends to plead not guilty.
And that the case against Simpson.
Is, quote.
Theater to incapacitate him to keep him in custody.
Hopefully, they find that woman soon and safe. ABC's janai Norman. Thank you. Simpson's lawyer says that witness is not credible. He is due back in court November 13th. Investigators with the NTSB will be at the site of a deadly helicopter crash in Texas today. Four people were killed when the chopper slammed into a radio tower in Houston on Sunday. Investigators are looking at new surveillance video trying to learn more about what caused the crash. ABC's Mireya Villarreal has the latest.
Reporter. The NTSB now investigating that fatal helicopter crash in Houston that killed all four people on board, including a child.
We're in the early phases of this investigation, so.
We're collecting.
All the evidence we.
Can while we're here.
On scene.
The privately owned Robinson R 44 helicopter operating an Air Tours flight just before 8 p.m. Sunday when it crashed into this 1200 foot tall radio tower. The moment of the collision caught on video and surveillance camera leaving behind burning wreckage. It got.
Bright.
Orange like, flamed. And it just crumbled.
The fire department using drones to assess the scope of the damage. Our Houston station, KTRK, flying over the wreckage saying the radio tower is hard to see even during the day.
It's not painted well, and the lights are not the strobes that some of the towers around town have on them.
So this private helicopter didn't have a black box on board. And in fact, this particular model isn't equipped or isn't required to be equipped with one. We do know right now that NTSB is trying to canvass the area, trying to find other recording devices that may have this flight data information so we can help with their investigation.
Stephanie. Mireya. Thank you. Coming up, saying bye bye to Buybuy baby stores. The company shutting all of its stores. We'll tell you what's next for the popular retailer.
Whenever, wherever news breaks. It's so important to always remember that lives are changed.
Here in London, in Buffalo. Uvalde, Texas. Edinburgh, Scotland. Reporting from Rolling Fork, Mississippi.
Ukrainian refugees here in Warsaw. We're heading to a small community outside of Mexico City, getting you behind the stories as they happen. ABC News Live Prime. We'll take you there.
Stream ABC news live weeknights wherever you stream your news, only on ABC News Live.
Three. Two one.
It's a 24 over seven live together.
It's not about the fear or the risk. It's about the love of flying. Three. Two. One.
When you're 61 years old, you have very few opportunities to change your life. This time I have to be ready for everything. This is about everybody like me. The only thing I see, a future which is not what I felt like for a really long time. Cause you every. I don't feel invisible now to me.
Hi, my name is Patrice. I am a totally cool person with a disability. Patrice always sees the.
Best side of life.
He just looked at her and I said, would.
You like to be my wife?
If you get married and you're collecting a Social Security benefit. Your benefit will be cut.
I don't take anything for granted. I don't see what anyone can see.
In Never going to stop us from loving each other.
Bye bye, baby.
Is bidding farewell to all of its stores. The closing comes just a year after it reopened some of the brick and mortar shops under another company. ABC News chief business correspondent Rebecca Jarvis has these details.
Attention all parents to be and anyone buying gifts for them.
Bye bye baby.
Is saying bye bye to brick and mortar.
For customers, that means liquidation sales. The retailer is offering.
What it calls significant discounts on almost everything in store. If you have a gift card, those can be redeemed in store until Halloween, but after that.
You will need to use it.
Online.
If this sounds familiar, that is because it happened.
Once before when Buybuy.
Baby shut.
Down stores.
Last year after.
Filing for bankruptcy.
But they recently reopened some.
Locations.
Under a new parent.
Company. Now they are calling it.
Quits for.
The second time, going fully online for.
Good. The remaining.
Ten locations will close.
By the end of the year.
And if you're.
Looking to test, run a stroller or check out some cribs, your best bet is to.
Look for them at a local small business boutique.
Or check it out at.
Target.
Walmart, or.
Costco. Stephanie.
All right, another one bites the dust. Thanks so much, Rebecca. I'm Stephanie Ramos. The news never stops, and neither do we. We have a lot more news right after the break.
Yo, partner. We're not partners.
I'm the detective.
And you are the consultant.
I see you brought your baby to a crime scene. She is just spectating.
You're a single mom with three kids pretending to be a cop.
I am not pretending. I spot things that detectives miss. I still think my theory is flimsy.
That big brain of hers is going to help us close a lot of cases. I'm just out.
Here super copping high potential. All new Tuesdays on ABC.
And stream.
On Hulu.
What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?
We are part of an operation. This is our combat operation center. We're approaching the gate. Militants came in from different directions. A reactor. So you have a couple loaded and ready to go. The house is destroyed, but the flag.
Not a tear in it. How important it.
Made the USA. Great work. I appreciate you.
Thank you. Ismail. David. David, I'm David Muir. I know who you are.
You do?
Every night.
ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir is America's most watched newscast.
I love this version of me.
America's number.
One most.
Watched daytime talk show.
Is ABC's.
The View. You all heard.
It here first. I love it, I'm.
There for it.
Hot topics, political views.
That's what we're about.
Voices that matter. It all goes.
Down.
Right here.
That's why it's called the what?
The view. I love it, I'm all in. Second that. Beautiful. This is going to be.
Must see TV. And so much could happen. I see.
Attention, teachers. No child is to be sent to the principal's office today.
Kids, if you want to do crime, now's the time. Happy first day of school. You better bring your big data bag. Yes.
Wonder like four.
More of these. Yeah.
We were robbed. Hey! Buy three, get one free. I'm gonna.
Call your mother and.
Bring the rest back here, boy. Good. Better.
Best.
Hi, I'm Stephanie Ramos in for Diane Macedo today on ABC News Live. First, it is a dash to the finish line. Vice President Harris and former President Trump are targeting battleground states with exactly two weeks until election Day, we'll take a closer look at where both candidates are focusing their attention for the final stretch. Pushing for a diplomatic solution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel overnight, set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The latest on the cease fire efforts as the IDF steps up its attacks on Lebanon and October turning up the heat. Many states across the country are seeing temperatures in the 80s. How long this record warmth is expected to last, with almost half the country dealing with growing drought. But first, former President Trump and Vice President Harris are hitting battleground states today, with Trump in must Win North Carolina and Harris's running mate, Governor Tim Walz in Wisconsin, where early voting begins today. Millions of Americans have already cast their votes with exactly two weeks until Election Day. ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers joins me now for more on this.
Karen, great to see you. Karen Harris sat down with prominent Republican Liz Cheney to reach out to moderate voters and Republicans who don't support Trump. So what's her strategy here, and is she getting her message across?
Stephanie, the vice president, was in three states that are very critical for Democrats chances of holding on to the white House, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan yesterday. And it's where she went in those three battleground states. That's also very notable. She was in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Detroit trying to reach out to suburban conservative voters, voters that the Harris campaign feels may not be comfortable right now voting for Donald Trump. And they're trying to peel them away. It might not be a large group, but it might just be enough to cut that margin down and help them win in those three states. Here's what they had to say yesterday at these events with Liz Cheney.
There are moments in the history.
Of our country.
Which challenge us, each of us, to really decide.
Do we stand.
For.
Those things.
That we talk about, including a particular country.
Over party. He sat in his dining room and he watched the attack on television. He watched it. People pleaded with him to tell the mob to leave, and he wouldn't. And he watched law enforcement officers be brutally beaten. He watched it. That's a depravity that to me. And, you know, I think to anyone who's taken the oath of office makes someone absolutely unfit ever to be president again.
Country over, party, right and wrong. That was the message yesterday from Vice President Harris and former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney. And Stephanie, it was very interesting to hear Liz Cheney say, you don't have to go out there and talk about voting for Vice President Harris. You don't have to agree with her on everything. You can keep your vote quiet. She predicts that there will be millions of Republicans like her who have never voted for a Democrat before, but we'll do it this time. And that could be the difference in those critical battleground states.
A very clear message from both of them. Now, Vice President Harris is tearing through the so-called blue wall states, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Of course, as we get closer to Election Day. Now, we know that Walz is in Wisconsin today. So what is their message in these final two weeks?
You know, interestingly, we are not going to see Vice President Harris out on the campaign trail today, a rare down day in this final stretch because she is taping two television interviews. But we are seeing the surrogates out there. Obviously, her running mate, Governor Walz in Wisconsin, you're going to see Barack Obama out there as well with him today in Madison, the college town in Wisconsin, trying to drum up the youth vote. Bill Clinton, the former president, also out there on the campaign trail. But the message is really turnout at this point. You mentioned earlier about millions of people already voting. They're trying to get those people to bank their votes right now.
They certainly are busy days for a busy day for those supporting Harris and Walz, walls, of course, but Trump visited the must win state of North Carolina to see the damage from Hurricane Helene, and he repeated some false claims about FEMA's response to victims. He also made baseless claims that Democrats are trying to cheat in the election. So what's the latest there?
Yeah, he continues to try and stoke doubts about the election and where things are going now in the early vote counting and then on Election day. But in terms of what he was saying about the FEMA response, the white House pushed back very strongly yesterday after he said that the response in western North Carolina had been almost nonexistent. They said that is just flat out not true. There have been millions and millions of dollars already given to the people in that very hard hit part of the state. In fact, the FEMA administrator was in North Carolina yesterday working with state and local officials, and she told ABC news that that aid will continue to go out to people in those hard hit areas. And she said about the former president's claims about what FEMA is doing, it is an absolute lie.
All right. Karen Travers for us at the white House, thank you so much, Karen. The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee. The Republican National Committee are implementing what they call a proactive litigation effort ahead of the election, an RNC official tells ABC news the program has engaged in more than 130 lawsuits in at least 26 states. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris's lead attorney says Democrats have intervened in dozens of baseless Republican lawsuits to debunk their lies and defeat them in court. Investigative reporter Olivia Rubin joins me now for more on this. Olivia, great to see you in person. So former President Trump and his allies scrambled to challenge his loss with a flurry of lawsuits back in 2020. The last four years you've been talking about this. So how has their strategy changed since then?
Well, I think right now what we're seeing from the RNC and the Trump campaign, who are really working in coordination on this, is to a conscious effort to go to the courts before the election, like you just said there. You know, they say that they're engaged in over 130 election lawsuits. Those are really suits. A lot of them that are looking at targeting, you know, what votes end up counting. Think about lawsuits that they are in right now trying to set aside or question certain military ballots. That's one group of, you know, ballots that they're going after right now. And really, again, that is about going before the election, not after we spoke to one prominent Trump ally who basically said, good luck getting a judge to overturn the election once it's already done. Well, you have to do is go before to try to get ballots peeled off, the ones that are counted. That's really the effort that we're seeing there. Of course, you know, this is one that has been really excoriated by voting experts and Democrats alike who are saying that really, this is just about pushing conspiracy theories, that this is about misinformation and that this is about sort of laying the framework for challenging the election after it's held in about two weeks.
Should former President Trump lose.
And I'm sure Democrats will fight back in court at some point. Are you seeing that at all at this point? Democrats are fighting back.
We are seeing Democrats sort of coming with that same offensive strategy, if you will. The DNC is right now engaged in about 35 lawsuits around the country. And really, what they are looking to do is push back. You read out that quote from one of Harris's top attorneys, Dana Remus, who said in this internal memo that we obtained debunk their lies and defeat them in court. We spoke to some lawyers that are working for the Harris campaign who really explained that for them, this has been a years long process in the making, Stephanie, which is so fascinating. They talk about how they convened right after Joe Biden took office in 2021 and started planning for the election cycle. The really what happened in 2020 with the lawsuits, with January 6th hanging very much as a cloud over them, and they right now are working. They have, you know, thousands of pages of lawsuits, pre drafted filings, pre drafted ready to go should they need them. Because like we said after 2020, we saw that flurry of litigation and so far, everyone that we speak to really expects that again.
Should President Trump lose.
So many legal battles to watch and you are on it. Thank you so much. Investigative reporter Olivia Rubin lost. So much. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This comes as the IDF is escalating operations in Gaza and Lebanon. In Beirut, Lebanon's Ministry of Health says dozens have been injured and at least 13 people are dead, including one child, after an IDF strike near the country's largest public hospital. Israeli forces say they hit a Hezbollah terrorist target near the hospital, but says the building was not targeted. ABC News foreign correspondent Tom Berg is in Tel Aviv for more on this. Tom, thank you so much for joining us. What do we know about today's meeting with Blinken and Netanyahu.
Yes, Stephanie, we know they met a few hours ago. We haven't had a readout from either side. We know from U.S. officials that Blinken, on this trip is is going to try and address multiple issues. Gaza, the war in Gaza. Can there be any type of diplomatic solution there? Looks highly unlikely at the moment. And actually, we're really seeing an escalation in fighting from the IDF in the north of the strip, Lebanon. Can somehow Israel dial down the temperature there at the moment? Really? It seems like the opposite. Is the IDF is going after Hezbollah targets in a very, very, very severe way in the last 24, 48 hours, targeting these financial institutions linked to the group. That's a new thing. But also talking about aid into Gaza. That's one issue, I think, that the US administration still feels it has leverage. Clearly, this is the last planned trip of the secretary of state before the US election. So I think part of this trip is, you know, to to show the American public that the administration is still making maximum efforts to try and dial down the temperature in the region, even though things at the moment appear to be moving in the opposite direction.
Right. So many efforts made over the last few months. Let's talk about the ceasefire efforts. Ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel have stalled for months. And now that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead, what are your what are your thoughts? What are you hearing? Will talks continue?
Well, at the moment, as far as we're aware, there's a bit of a leadership vacuum in terms of Hamas. I mean, Hamas is obviously being, you know, really, really, really damaged and degraded by more than a year of war. Clearly, its leadership has pretty much all of the key figures have been killed now. Look, the Biden administration says that it still believes that Sinwar's death is a bit of an opportunity, potentially, to try and get some kind of diplomatic process moving again. But the reality is that the rhetoric and really reading the signs on both sides, the Israeli government and Hamas, you know, there's no sense that the two sides could actually get even back around the table to try and negotiate those key issues again. I mean, look, it's been months of failed talks, and now Hamas is really saying the fight isn't over. We're not going to lay down our arms. And the Israeli government feel that they're in a strong position after sin was death. They feel they have Hamas where they where they want them, and they are still working militarily to try and take out any remaining fighters in the north of the strip.
And the humanitarian situation there is really, really dire right now.
It's so.
Unfortunate. Hopefully they there can be some progress made today after that conversation between Blinken and Netanyahu. Tom. Sophie Burridge for us in Tel Aviv, thank you so much, Tom. Concerns are growing in South Korea after new signs. North Korean troops are training to fight for Russia in Ukraine. A senior government official in South Korea tells ABC News Seoul was considering sending defensive weapons and a monitoring team to assess the threat posed by North Korea. ABC News foreign correspondent Brit Bennett joins us from Hong Kong. For more on this Brit. The U.S. and NATO haven't confirmed North Korea's troop deployment, but they warned against the danger of such a development being true. So how significant is this?
Right. And we've heard from the white House saying it is looking into these reports. The US representative at the UN also said, if true, it marks a dangerous and highly concerning development and an obvious deepening of North Korea and Russian military relations. Now they went on to say they're consulting with US allies and partners on the implications of this closer partnership. Now, North Korea's UN ambassador called the allegations completely groundless, calling them smears. And for their part, the Kremlin has sidestepped these claims entirely. And, of course, this closer involvement is deeply concerning for Ukraine. It is suffering battlefield losses, particularly in the East. And Ukraine says the presence of North Korean troops poses a huge risk of escalation, with this war now potentially stretching beyond its current borders.
And Brit, we've heard from South Korea, it seems as though South Korea seems to be pressuring Russia not to bring North Korean troops into its war against Ukraine. Officials there, of course, worry Russia may reward North Korea by giving it sophisticated weapons technologies that can boost the North Korea's, the North's nuclear and missile program. So what kind of impact could Russia working more closely with North Korea actually have?
Yeah, I think you're right, Stephanie. One of the big questions is what is North Korea getting in return? South Korea is growing particularly nervous about this development. A senior South Korean official confirming that they are considering sending offensive weapons and a monitoring team on the ground in Ukraine. That would be a big move. You know, sole support has only this far been defensive for Ukraine. South Korea's top spy agency, they released satellite imagery and it appears to show those troops in Russia also claiming that North Korea has decided to send over 10,000 troops to support Russia. But North Korea and Russia signed a mutual security pact in June. We have to remember that. And in that pact, it includes a provision for holding a.
Roundtable conversation right now with no supporters in Miami. Let's take a listen.
And if we had to go to electric, we would go back more than 50. We would go back to 60 years. It would be worse than the truck from 50 years ago. Doesn't work. So what you say is it doesn't work, but they want to force it down your throat. Look at look at the case of Los Angeles and California. They have brownouts and blackouts all the time and they want to go all electric. They don't have enough electric for themselves. They want to go all electric with one of the worst governors. And by the way, she, as the attorney general, helped destroy the state of California. And she destroyed. She destroyed probably. She destroyed probably. That's Harris. She destroyed probably the best, maybe the best city in the world. I mean, San Francisco was one of the greatest cities. A friend of mine, Bob Tisch, used to say it's the best city that he's ever been. He was in many cities, the great Bob Tisch. And he said San Francisco was the best city in the United States.
And now it's it's horrible. You know, I own property there, and it's very costly every time I do this. But I don't care because this is a much higher calling. I heard the value of my property tremendously when I say this, but it's almost unlivable now with the crime and all of the things that are happening. And the only thing I would disagree with you on is that the economy is very important. I actually think that the biggest thing is the border, because the border is destroying our country. It's really destroying. I think the economy is bad, but I think the and it's made really bad by the horrible inflation that was caused. The inflation is really the biggest problem. But I really believe that even the inflation and that's a country destroyer, it's a country buster. They call it inflation. But I really think that the biggest problem this country has is what they've allowed to happen to us on the border. They've allowed our country to be destroyed. They're allowing thousands of murderers and drug dealers and and terrorists and people from mental institutions.
They're emptying out their jails into our country. They're emptying out their jails. And by the way, their crime rates all over the world are going down. They have many people now coming from the Congo. In Africa. It's not just you think about South America. They're emptying out their jails in the Congo, and they're delivering them to the border. And they're saying, congratulations, here's America. And we have we have 21 million people at least over the last little while. And if they got in, they're going to have open borders 100%, just like they tried to trick everybody. They said they tried to tighten it up a little bit just to make it because they have an election coming up. It didn't work much, but they forgot to tell you that they continue to fly big, beautiful Boeing jets over the right, over the border, with hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants landing in the Midwest and other places. They forgot to stop those planes coming in. They thought they were going to put a little bit of a show on in the border, and they could show something.
They didn't do it. I think it's the single biggest problem because our country is loaded up right now with murderers and with people and seriously ill people from mental institutions. And those mental institutions are empty, and those jails are becoming empty, and countries are down 60, 70 and 80% in crime. And we're going through the roof with crime. When she said, no, the migrants don't commit crime. These migrants are these. The criminals that they're allowing in are tougher than any criminal there is. The only good thing about it is they make our criminals look like nice people. These are ruthless, horrible people. I'd like to ask Max to say a few words, because he gets it from the standpoint of where he was born. He grew up in a system, and I've seen him speak very beautifully on this subject of what's happening to our country. Max.
Well, thank you, Mr. President, for being here. Last time you asked me to talk, I took everybody else's time and you told me to shut up. So I'm going to make it very brief. Yeah. Okay. I just want to start by saying drill, baby, drill, because that is your motto. I am extremely confident, without a doubt, that the first day that we elect Mr. Donald J. Trump, our next president, the first day in office, I guarantee you he will solve half of the problems that we have.
The most important. Sure. The most important. On November 5th.
The election is not about you and us. It's about freedom and oppression. And this is the only man that I know that can handle that. This is the only man that has survived for the grace of God. Things that we can never imagine. And he gets up and he says, fight, fight, fight. I happen to.
Be honored today. Fight fight fight fight fight fight fight fight. I am honored.
Today by being surrounded by representatives of God on earth. And we have to pray. And I always will say, pray, pray, pray. But fight, fight, fight, because that's exactly what we need to do. Praying itself is not going to do it. We need to pray and fight. Now, talking about the economy, this is very simple. You made us energy independent in just a flick of a finger. That's right. You can do it again. Now, here's the problem. We have people running our country who are totally economic illiterate. These people have never had a job. These people have never run a business. These people have never signed the front of a check. Mr. Donald Trump has done all of that. And he runs the country like a business. Because after all, it's a business. You cannot keep printing money that you don't have to help people who hate you. Instead of taking care of your own neighbors here in America. That's why he will make America great again.
And when he makes America great again, he will make the whole world great again.
Because we need to be strong enough to take care of our problem. And then we can go and help the people who need help. So thank you, Mr. President. Talking about the American dream, a young boy came to this country at age 13, didn't even know the language. And one day he's sitting in a panel. hugging. The best man. The president of the United States of America. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you very much. Mr. president.
Mr. president. And it's a misnomer that Latinos want open borders. We want a secure border.
Like all Americans. And and we know what it leads to. Eduardo, who is the.
Producer of Sound of Freedom. He has so much firsthand experience. So, Eduardo, why don't you tell us about the movie and what we're facing with the immigration that the president's talking about?
Well, first of all, thank you so much for your time. Uh, my name is Eduardo Verastegui, and I am very grateful to this nation for opening the door to my dreams. This nation has been such an amazing blessing in my life. God bless America.
God bless Mexico and God bless Hispanic America.
And let's make America and Mexico and Hispanic America great again together. Pro-Life again. Healthy again and free again. I made these heroes ten years ago in Los Angeles, California. ex-Navy Seals, ex-CIA agents. And they travel around the world undercover, rescuing children. And when they told me in details what they do and how they rescued these children, my eyes were open. And I said, I'm a filmmaker. I want to I want to make a movie about this. Because the first step to eradicate child trafficking is to raise awareness. Because if you don't know that this problem exists, how you can fix it. So I made a promise to God that I will dedicate my entire life to end child trafficking, to end child trafficking, because God's children are not for sale. Children are sacred. Come on. And I am very grateful with you, Mr. President. Dear, amigo. Dear hermano. Because of you hosting a private screening in your house. Because of you endorsing Sound of Freedom. After that, Sound of Freedom became the number one independent film in box office ever in history.
Produced by a Mexican producer. Thank you for that. Thank you for the incredible hard work you're doing. Thank you for putting the children first. And that's why it's so important. This is for all the media, for all Mexican Americans, Hispanic Americans to vote for President Trump. And I know we will win for the third time. For the third time.
Yes. Yes. We will meet for the third time. And that's a fact.
It's not an opinion. It's a fact because it's true. Because it's true. Look what is happening right now. Look. Look what is happening right now with these evil people. Obama. Hillary. Kamala.
You're watching former President Trump at a roundtable with Latino supporters in Miami. The former president criticizing Vice President Harris, touching on the economy, immigration, and not just south of the border, but also immigrants coming in to the U.S. from the Congo. Trump continuing to paint migrants in a negative light and also attacking his opponent, Vice President Harris. We, of course, will continue to monitor the event. The Biden Harris administration was also criticized for inflation. But of course, we will monitor this event. We'll be right back after the break.
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Every night. ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir is America's most watched newscast.
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Attention, teachers. No child has to be sent to the principal's office today.
Kids, if you want to do crime, now's the time. Happy first day of school. You better bring you big. Better? Yes.
Wonder like four.
More of these? Yeah. We were.
Robbed. Hey!
Buy three, get one free.
I'm gonna call your mother on you. Bring the rest.
Back here, boy. Good. Better.
Best.
When you're 61 years old, you have very few opportunities to change your life. This time, I have to be ready for everything. This is about everybody like me. The only thing you see, your future. Which is not what I felt like for a really long time. Cause you every. I don't feel invisible now. Sorry.
Hi, my name is Patrice. I am a totally cool person with a disability.
Patrice always sees the.
Best side of life.
He just looked at her and I said, would.
You like to be my wife?
If you get married and you're collecting a Social Security benefit, your benefit will be cut.
I don't take anything for granted. I don't see what anyone can see.
In anyone else. I'm never going to stop us from loving each other.
We have breaking news right now. Federal prosecutors are speaking about the arrest of the former CEO of Abercrombie as part of a criminal sex trafficking investigation. Let's take a listen.
And James Jacobson on charges of sex trafficking and engaging in interstate prostitution. Powerful individuals for too long have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure, young people with few resources and a dream. A dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment. To anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using the so-called casting couch system, this case should serve as a warning. Prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison. The message from today's prosecution is clear sexually exploiting vulnerable human beings is a crime, and doing so by dangling dreams of a future in fashion or modeling or any other business is no different. My office and our law enforcement partners will always prioritize standing up for victims, no matter their gender and no matter how powerful the wrongdoers think they are. We will hold them to account, as we allege in the indictment. Between 1992 and 2014, Michael Jeffries was the chief executive officer of Abercrombie and Fitch. Abercrombie was a widely known clothing retailer with stores around the world. Aspiring fashion models knew that a place on one of Abercrombie's iconic ads could be the ticket to success in the modeling industry.
But while Jeffries was the CEO of one of the most recognizable clothing retailers in the world, he was using his power, his wealth, and his influence to traffic men for his own sexual pleasure and that of his romantic partner, Matthew. Smith. The charging documents describe, in graphic and disturbing detail the violent and exploitative. Acts these defendants perpetrated, for which they will now face justice in a court here in the Eastern District of New York. So here's what's alleged in the indictment. Jeffries and Smith employee James Jacobson to act as a recruiter to find men. Jacobson engaged in, quote, tryouts with men across the world, where he would typically pay them to engage in sex acts with him. Following the tryouts with Jacobson, Smith would often then personally approve whether the men who were selected would meet Jeffries and Smith. The defendants would fly the selected men to Jeffries and Smith's homes in the Hamptons, in New York City, or to hotels around the world in such places as England, France, Italy, Morocco, and Saint Barts for the purpose of attending events to engage in commercial sex.
But beyond simply hiring men for sex, Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson used force fraud and coercion to traffic those men for their own sexual gratification. For example, as alleged, the defendants employed a referral system and an interview process that did not inform the men of the details of the sex events before they attended, including the full extent and nature of the sexual activity that would be required of the men at these events. They caused the men to believe that attending these sex events could yield modeling opportunities with Abercrombie, or otherwise benefit their careers. Smith and Jeffries employed a secret staff to operate these sex events. The staff. The staff ensured that the men signed non-disclosure agreements and handed over their personal items, such as their phones, before the start of the events, to maintain the secrecy of these events. The defendants caused the men to believe that not complying with requests for certain acts sex acts during the events could harm their careers. The defendants pressured the men to consume alcohol, Viagra, Niagara and muscle relaxants known as poppers during the sex events, and they required the presence of staff during the sexual activity and ensured that the men did not leave the sex events until Jeffreys and Smith decided that the sessions were over.
Also, as alleged, on more than one occasion, Jeffreys and Smith either directed others to inject or personally injected men with an erection inducing substance for the purpose of causing the men to engage in sex acts. The men were incapable of engaging in or unwilling to engage in. Additionally, the indictment alleges, on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent. Jeffreys and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive, sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects. As alleged in the indictment, Jeffrey Smith and Jacobson didn't just carry this activity on for a couple of occasions. Their sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise lasted at least from the end of 2008 until early 2015. During that period, the defendants hired dozens of men and transported them to New York and around the globe. They spent millions of dollars on a massive infrastructure to support this operation and maintain its secrecy. This included hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash for commercial sex, prolific amounts of money for staff to run the sex events, money for domestic travel, international travel, hotel rooms, services, services from a security company and Jacobson's salary, among other things.
Now this investigation remains ongoing, although there are 15 John Doe's identified as victims in this indictment. This interstate prostitution venture encompassed dozens and dozens of men. And I encourage anyone with information about this case, including anyone who was a victim of the defendant's alleged crimes, to contact the FBI. One 800 call FBI. Now, I want to thank the victims who have already come forward for sharing their stories. Prosecutions like this are really impossible without the bravery of victims who are willing to report what happened to them to law enforcement. But this office, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to protect victims from powerful individuals who use their wealth and their influence to exploit and harm others for sexual gratification. In addition to my team, I'd like to give special thanks to FBI Special Agent Amanda Young and NYPD Detectives Paul Byrne and Antonio Pagan, who have worked hard on this investigation in the pursuit of justice. I'll now turn it over to FBI Assistant Director in charge Dan Heath.
Thank you. Brian.
Good afternoon.
I'm Jim Dennehy, assistant director in.
Charge of the.
FBI's New York field office. Today's indictment highlights the abhorrent behavior of Michael Jeffries, Matthew Smith and James Jacobson. What's alleged in the indictment is not only beyond disturbing, dishonorable and disgraceful, but simply put, it's criminal. In short, these individuals are charged with running a prostitution and international sex trafficking business using a combination of force, fraud and coercion to induce victims into participating in their illegal operations. The alleged behavior occurred here in New York City and in multiple countries worldwide. The defendants allegedly preyed on the hopes and dreams of their victims by exploiting, abusing, In silencing them to fulfill their own desires with insidious secret intentions. Despite the alleged efforts of Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson to conceal their crimes, efforts that included threatening victims and requiring them to sign non-disclosure agreements, among other things, their plan failed. This case is yet another example of individuals using their wealth, power, or reputation to manipulate and control others for their own personal interests. I'd like to speak for a second to the victims in this case and others.
Both those who have come forward and those we believe are still out there. The FBI and our partners make it our mission to prioritize those who have been Victimized by sexual predators. We know victims come from all walks of life. They're our neighbors, our friends and members of our community. We won't allow these criminal acts to go unchecked. We know our agency, however, cannot combat this threat alone, and we remain committed to investigating and bringing these cases forward to prosecution with our partners. We have dedicated teams ready to listen to you and to advocate for you, and we have victim specialists available to provide the necessary, necessary resources you need. If you or someone you know is a victim in this case or any other, the number to call is one 800. Call FBI or online at By governor.
You've been watching federal prosecutors speak about the arrest of former Abercrombie CEO and others as part of a criminal sex trafficking investigation. Mike Jeffries is accused in civil lawsuits filed in 2023 of sexually exploiting young men at parties he held with his partner. Jeffries is credited with turning Abercrombie and Fitch into a fashion powerhouse, but has come under criticism in the past few years on accusations of discrimination and oversexualizing male models. Jeffries attorney says he will respond to the allegations after the indictment is unsealed and when appropriate. Let's bring in ABC news legal contributor Brian Buchmeyer. Brian, you heard the prosecutors there. Some really disturbing details revealed. What is your takeaway from the allegations prosecutors just outlined here?
Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head. They're disturbing, to say the least, in terms of the network, the drugs, the inducement, the lack of consent and how widespread this seems to be. The allegations are always shocking when it comes to an indictment, especially when you first hear it. And then the next step is to see what corroboration and what other facts are there. And then, of course, to hear what the defendants say. Because as the justice system works, a person is innocent unless proven guilty. And so, while shocking, unfortunately, we've heard sexual trafficking allegations out of the Eastern District of New York, like in R Kelly, out of the Southern District of New York, like in Sean Combs. So I think right now it's a matter of wait and see as to what more information comes forward.
And, Brian, we haven't heard from Jefferies or his attorneys just yet. But when it comes to a defense here, what do you expect?
Yeah. So you have the typical defenses when it comes to any form of sexual assault, even if it rises all the way to sex trafficking. There is the issue of credibility. Are the people credible in the statements that they're making corroboration. Are there other facts to turn this from a he said he said to a he said he said with supporting information. And then of course a lot of these cases it's about the numbers. Sometimes if it's a case of of one alleged victim accusing 2 or 3 other people, as we have here, that's a lot different than if we have 5 or 6, 20, 30 victims come forward and say that these three men organize a sex trafficking ring, and so their defense is going to be predicated on the facts that come forward, the credibility of the witnesses, and what evidence or lack of evidence can be corroborated.
And Buchmeyer Forrest, thank you so much, Brian. And just to reiterate, Jeffrey's attorney says he will respond to the allegations after the indictment is unsealed and when appropriate. We do want to add that Michael Jeffries and Matthew Smith will have their initial appearance before a magistrate judge in federal court in West Palm Beach later on this afternoon. Meanwhile, former President Trump and Vice President Harris are neck and neck as they make their final pushes exactly two weeks ahead of the election. Millions of Americans have already cast their votes, with early voting getting underway today in the critical state of Wisconsin. ABC News Senior White House correspondent Selina Wang joins us now, along with ABC news senior reporter Katherine Faulders. We're going to talk about this. Katherine, I want to start with you. We just heard a few minutes ago from Trump, former President Trump meeting with Latino supporters in Miami. This is a key demographic, right? So how critical is that support for the Trump campaign right now?
It's a key demographic. And the Latino support will be one. Stephanie, that's really interesting to watch here. And why is that? We know that Harris is ahead with the Latino vote in this polling. But Democrats lead with the Latino vote has continued to shrink. So the point is there is wiggle room there, and it's a demographic that Trump realizes he potentially has opportunity to pick up. So both of these candidates are really trying to focus on that there. And I know we've been talking about this a lot, but the reality is this will come down to a very small number of voters, whoever wins the election in November. That's why, of course, Trump is trying to pick up more of those voters.
Absolutely. And this, of course, being the final stretch. Things are ramping up. Selina, how is the Harris campaign strategy different from Trump's in this final stretch of the race?
Yes, Stephanie, I mean, we're.
Only two weeks.
Away in the Harris and Trump strategies could not be more different. Harris on one hand, she's aggressively trying to reach out to independents and moderate Republicans.
That's why.
All yesterday you saw her on the trail.
With former.
Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.
They were specifically targeting women in the suburbs of some.
Critical battleground states.
And the message that they were.
Doubling down on is their.
Argument that Trump is a threat.
To American democracy and a threat.
To the country.
Liz Cheney.
Had some strong remarks reminding Americans about Trump's.
Role on January 6th. Take a listen here.
They sat in his dining room and he watched the attack on television. He watched it. People pleaded with him to tell the mob to leave, and he wouldn't. And he watched law enforcement officers be brutally beaten. He watched it. That's a depravity that to me. And, you know, I think to anyone who's taken the oath of office makes someone absolutely unfit ever to be president again.
Trump, on the other hand.
He is doubling.
Down on reaching out to his MAGA.
Base, both in terms of the.
Media outlets.
He's talking to and his.
Messaging. He's not trying to reach out to Democrats. He continues to call his political.
Opponents the enemy from within.
And in North.
Carolina.
Yesterday, he continued to spread falsehoods about the hurricane response. Stephanie.
Thank you. Selena and Catherine, you mentioned this. The race is really close. Extremely close. Trump and Harris are in a dead heat. So where exactly do things stand right now?
Yeah, it's a great question, Stephanie. The reality is that it's just in a dead heat. As you mentioned, this race is a complete toss up. Both candidates know that they're out there on the campaign trail trying to appeal to these demographics that we've been talking about, but really, of course, also focusing in those battleground states, I'm sure we will see a lot more, or at least as many trips as they can make in the last two weeks. But to states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, those critical Arizona, you see it there, those critical states that have the potential to just tip the election.
In a dead heat. Selena Harris is off the campaign trail today. Meanwhile, President Biden is meeting with the prime minister of Slovenia. So so what's the latest there?
Yeah. So the president actually just spoke to reporters in the Oval Office, along with the Prime Minister of Slovenia and President Biden, was reflecting.
On his time as a young senator and.
The work he did to try and bring Slovenia into NATO. Biden saying that all of that hard work paid off as these countries are standing together in support of Ukraine. Take a listen to what they said here.
Minister, welcome to the white House.
We were just talking very briefly. I spent a little time in Slovenia early on, and it's a beautiful, beautiful country. 20 years ago, when I was a United States senator, I pushed very hard for your country's admission to NATO. As you know, because I knew then what I know now. We're stronger and a safer world when we stand together with good partners like you. We've seen it in support for the brave people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia's brutal aggression. And we see it in, in our work to support democracy and prosperity across the Western Balkans. And we see it. And we saw it early this past summer when we secured the release of 16 people, including four Americans unjustly held in Russia. And I want to thank you as a feat of diplomacy, I want to thank your country for your support and your leadership and partnership that made it possible. And that's not hyperbole. You made it possible. Thank you. We made it clear to anyone who questions whether our allies matter.
Well, they just look at what you did and you matter a great deal. And so, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. And we look forward to our discussion today. The floor is yours.
Mr. President. Dear Joe.
Just a couple of words. And that is that with a little help of true friends, nothing is impossible. And I think that's really what our joint effort with the prisoner swap demonstrated to all of the world. And let's continue to work in a true friendship and with a lot of trust.
Well, there's a lot we agree on. So welcome. Good to have you here. Glad to be here. Get moving.
Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you. Everybody. Make your way to the door. Are you on? Your way. Thank you everyone.
So, Stephanie, you can see in the pictures there that the president is not taking any of the questions from reporters. But looming over this meeting with the Slovenian prime minister is the fact that the election is just a couple weeks away. And NATO allies are deeply concerned about the.
Possibility of a Trump presidency and what that would.
Mean for the NATO alliance and for future support for.
Ukraine. President Biden, in his remaining.
Months, is making.
This a top.
Priority. I was just with the president in Germany last week, where he was also trying to shore up support for Ukraine, Stephanie.
The prime minister of Slovenia visiting during a very busy time two weeks before the election. All right. Selina Wang there for us at the white House. Thank you, Katherine Faulders. Thank you as well. Thank you both. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier today. This comes as the IDF is escalating operations in Gaza and Lebanon. In Beirut, Lebanon's Ministry of Health says dozens have been injured and at least 13 people are dead, including one child, after an IDF strike near the country's largest public hospital. Israeli forces say they hit a Hezbollah terrorist target near the hospital, but says the building was not targeted. ABC News foreign correspondent Tom Soufi Berge is in Tel Aviv for more on this. Tom, great to have you with us. U.S. officials say Blinken will have a lot to say about this trip, and about the need for a diplomatic end to the conflict in Lebanon. Are we anywhere near that moment?
On the face of it, no, Stephanie. I mean, look, what we're seeing from the IDF in the last 2440 eight hours is a series of escalations. Late on Sunday night, we saw strikes near to Beirut International Airport. Last night we saw a strike. The IDF says has admitted close to a hospital, killing several people, including a child. And the IDF is going after Hezbollah's financial arm. They're like banks, effectively buildings, branches of a kind of financial institution, which the IDF says is funding Hezbollah's activities and therefore it's going after it. So in a way, the war in in Lebanon, Lebanese officials saying more than 60 people killed and more than 200 people injured yesterday alone.
And, Tom, we understand that the top of the agenda for Blinken is also addressing the war in Gaza. But ceasefire talks have stalled, as you know. So how is the U.S. working to get negotiations up and running again.
I think right now there isn't a prospect, you know, the immediate term of negotiations happening, you know, between the Israeli government and Hamas, the Israeli government. Quite clearly right now, from all the conversations we're having and from what we're seeing on the ground in northern Gaza, where they're mounting a very significant operation, there's a really miserable picture for civilians up there. We're seeing a lot of civilian casualties. You know, the IDF is committed to trying to take out remaining pockets of Hamas resistance in the north right now. And the Israeli government is saying there can only be a ceasefire if Hamas capitulates and lays down its arms, and Hamas is saying that it will fight on. I think what the US does have leverage when it comes to Gaza in terms of these talks on Blinken's trip, is, you know, the day after US officials are saying, you know, we are talking about what will come after the war. When it does finish, you know, we need to prepare for that moment and also the issue of aid.
Remember, just over a week ago, the US sent a letter to the Israeli government saying you have to increase the amount of aid going into northern Gaza. Very, very, very little is getting in right now according to the UN. And if you don't in the next month or so, well, then we might we might restrict arms supplies to you. But the big but is obviously the US election that's coming up. And really you know, there's little chance of any concrete deal either on Lebanon or on Gaza before the US election.
Everyone hoping for some sort of resolve in the near future. Tom Soufi Berge for us in Tel Aviv. Thank you so much. Concerns are growing in South Korea after new signs. North Korean troops are training to fight for Russia in Ukraine. A senior government official in South Korea tells ABC news Seoul was considering sending defensive weapons and a monitoring team to assess the threat posed by North Korea. ABC News foreign correspondent Britt Clennett has the latest from Hong Kong. Hi there Britt.
Stephanie. The white House says it is looking into these reports, and a US representative at the UN said if true, it marks a dangerous and highly concerning development and an obvious deepening. They said of the North Korean and Russian military relationship. Now they are consulting with U.S. allies on the implications of this dangerous move. That's what the UN representative said. Now, North Korea's UN ambassador called the allegations groundless smears. And for their part, the Kremlin has sidestepped the claims. And, of course, this closer involvement is very concerning for Ukraine, which is suffering battlefield losses in the east Ukraine, saying the presence of North Korean troops really poses a huge risk of escalation, with the war potentially stretching beyond its current borders. Now South Korea growing particularly nervous over the development too. A senior South Korean official confirming they are considering actually sending offensive weapons and a monitoring team on the ground in Ukraine. Now Seoul's support this far during this war has only been defensive for Ukraine, so it does mark quite a significant change.
Now, South Korea's top spy agency, they released satellite imagery appearing to show those North Korean troops in Russia, also claiming that North Korea has decided to send over 10,000 troops to support Russia. But North Korea and Russia, we have to remember, remember, signed a mutual security pact in June, and that includes a provision for military assistance that's created serious fears here, particularly in this region, that Russia could also come to North Korea's aid as tensions rise on the Korean peninsula. Stephanie.
Foreign correspondent Brit Bennett for us in Hong Kong. Thank you Brit. Millions of people across the country here in the U.S. are dealing with record October heat. More than a dozen record highs were tied or broken yesterday, with more states seeing temperatures in the 80s today. Yes, we are at the end of October seeing those 80s. Meteorologist Brittany Bell from our ABC station right here in New York City is tracking the forecast for us. Brittany. It is great to see you live and in person. How long is this record warmth going to stick around?
Well, Stephanie, some areas could still break record highs lasting Friday potentially into this weekend, and more records could be challenged and broken today. Look at Philly. A record of 85 is possible. 86 in Springfield, Oklahoma City, up to 90 degrees. Even through the end of this week, Atlanta could break a record of 82 on Friday and Dallas 90 Thursday 89 Friday. More of the same in Oklahoma City. Phoenix getting close to 100 degrees. Now, on top of the heat, it has been very dry. Almost half of the country is officially under a drought and that is getting closer to record territory. For some cities. It has been the driest fall on record to date for Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Austin and Los Angeles. Angeles. Look at Philly so far, just close to three quarters of an inch of rain, well below the average of 6.7in. In Minneapolis, the normal is close to five inches more. The same for Austin and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, we're not seeing any relief any time soon for the northeast.
The latest outlook is showing below normal rainfall totals. More of the same for the eastern half of the country, but things could change for the northern tier with more rain coming as we head into next week. Stephanie.
Thank you so much, Brittany. I'm Stephanie Ramos. The news never stops and neither do we. We have a lot more news right after the break.
Trick or treat.
When I flick this switch, there'll be a horrible noise and a terrible odor.
Will it hurt?
Pain like you've never known. Oh.
This is risky. I am satisfied.
What? Are you scared?
This is happiness. We love Halloween. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Got me.
He's a bit silly.
Turning the machine off. Do you feel good?
I love this version of me.
America's number.
One most.
Watched daytime talk show is ABC's The View. You all heard.
It here first, I love it.
I'm there for it.
Hot topics, political views.
That's what we're about.
Voices that matter.
It all goes.
Down right here.
That's why it's called the what?
The view. I love it, I'm all in. Second. That beautiful.
This is going to be must see TV. And so much could happen. I see.
Attention, teachers. No child is to be sent to the principal's office today.
Kids, if you want to do a crime, now's the time. Happy first day of school. Good game. You better bring you good. Better. Best. Yes.
Wonder like four.
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Good afternoon, I'm Stephanie Ramos. Welcome to ABC News Live. First, we are following breaking news on the campaign trail. Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney is speaking with our very own chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl, in Detroit about her support for Vice President Harris. Take a listen.
Break break break break break. All right. Thank you for having us.
Thank you.
Debbie Dingell, uh, who I have known at least at least a couple of decades. Um, and thanks to Steve, uh, for welcoming us here. I understand you guys had a speaker here a couple of weeks ago. Um, so, um, look, uh, Congresswoman, I just wanted to start with you. You just had an extraordinary day yesterday. Uh, you were in Pennsylvania, here in Michigan, in Wisconsin with Kamala Harris. And I've known you for a long time. Um, and I truly never thought I would see you running around with a Democratic presidential nominee throughout the battleground states. But just. I want to start there. What what was your sense of her? Because you didn't really know her before all of this. So what's your. You've spent some real quality time with Kamala Harris. What's your sense of her?
Well, let me say, first of all, wonderful to be here in Detroit. Thank you so much to my dear friend Debbie, and to Steve and and to John and, and and it is true that it was a it was a remarkable day yesterday. Um, I have had the chance to spend time with Vice President Harris to talk to her about the challenges and the threats that our country is facing. Um, and to, to to take a measure of who she is as a person. Now, I'm sorry to say, I've also spent time with Donald Trump. And, uh, you know, there's a real difference between, uh, a candidate, someone who was president, someone who we all watched. We all watched. We know that he watched the attack on the Capitol on television and refused to tell the mob to go home. For over three hours. And and when you think about when you think about that, that cruelty and it's not the only example of the cruelty, what we've seen him do in the aftermath of the terrible hurricanes we've just had, lying to people about about aid and assistance.
It's cruelty. And when I had to make a decision about this race, I could have and obviously was never after January 6th, was never going to be in a position where I was supporting Donald Trump. I believe he's unfit and he's dangerous. But I made the decision beyond that to endorse Vice President Harris. And it is certainly the case that there are policies on which we disagree. But she is somebody who's devoted her life to public service. She is somebody who, even if you disagree with her, and maybe especially if you disagree with her, I can tell you she will listen. You know, when when you all in business, when you think about what are you looking for in somebody you hire, you're looking for somebody that you can trust. You're looking for somebody who's going to be responsible, who's going to operate in good faith. You certainly wouldn't hire somebody who was unstable and erratic. And we need to think about this election in those terms. We're hiring somebody for the most important job, really, in the whole world.
And I know that Vice President Harris is absolutely committed to, uh, governing in a way that reflects this coalition that has come together to support her. We've never seen anything like the coalition. I mean, it's, as you know, probably it stretches from Taylor Swift to Dick Cheney. And it's a it's a broad coalition. But it is it.
And you like both of them. Taylor Swift you know what?
Dick Cheney I.
Actually love both of them. But it's you know, we face huge challenges and we need somebody serious to deal with those challenges. So I for me, it was not a tough decision. And at the end of the day, as a conservative, as somebody who's worked all over the world, worked in places where people aren't free, I'm somebody who understands the value, the incredible value, the miracle of this system that we have in this country. There's only one choice. There's only one candidate, in my view, in this race that that we can say will count on them to uphold the rule of law. And that's Vice President Harris. Okay.
So it's not at all surprising that you are not supporting Trump. I had an interview with you the day that the Republicans voted you out of leadership in the House.
Because reminding me of that.
Yes.
Yes. Um, and you said to me, I remember vividly you said I said, what now? And you said, well, I'm going to do everything that I can do to ensure that Donald Trump is not the Republican presidential nominee. And if he is, becomes the presidential nominee to keep him from ever getting near the white House again. Well, he got through the first hurdle. I want to get to him. But Harris is somebody who a lot of Republicans who share your concerns about Trump, um, have said things very similar to what you have said over the past three and a half years. We'll say she's too far left. I can't support her. Some of those people have come around to supporting Trump. Some are simply saying they're going to write somebody else in and some.
Yeah. And I think many more, uh, than we'll say so publicly. We'll vote for Vice President Harris when, when you when you're facing the situation that we're in today and, um, the the vitriol of our political system and, look, I mean, we could talk for hours about about what's happened to the Republican Party and why more elected Republicans won't stand up and speak out. But the numbers who have the numbers of people who served with President Trump who say, never again, senior military officials and national security officials, his chief of staff, people who knew him best, Secretary of defense when they're telling all of us, never again. We need to listen. And I also just think it's important to recognize that that there are many, many Republicans who will cast a vote for her, who may not be up there saying so publicly right now, but who will will do the right thing when it comes to it?
But what is your sense of? Harris obviously took a series of positions when she was preparing to run for president in 2020, and a Democratic primary clearly felt that the way to compete in that primary was to was to be very progressive, to get to the left, maybe even of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, Medicare for all, Green New Deal, all of that. Was that the real Kamala Harris or is she? I mean, what is her? What does she stand for? What's your sense? You spent real quality time with her. Yeah. Is she the progressive who tried to get way to the left in 2019? Or is she the person that we saw at the at the Democratic convention?
What I can tell you is and again, I'm not suggesting that that that that she's a Reagan Republican. You know, we have we have differences, there's no question. But but if you if you listen to what she's saying, if you look at the extent to which both publicly and privately, she's absolutely committed to, for example, America's leadership role in the world, to the extent to which the United States of America isn't going to have economic security or freedom or national security if we don't lead, you know, the if you look at the speech that she gave at the Democratic convention, it was far more reaganesque, far more moderate than the speech that Donald Trump gave. And, and and when it comes to the challenges that we face today, I think certainly her views have been informed by her time as vice president. Uh, and, and that's, you know, that's no small thing. I hear people sometimes I hear men, frankly. Um, I heard John Bolton. I'll just be direct.
I heard John Bolton the other day say, oh, she's not qualified. Now think about it. I'm, you know, look, he can say he's not going to vote for her. He can say he disagrees with her. But there is no man who was district attorney, attorney general of the State of California, United States senator, vice president of the United States, that people would say they're not qualified. And I think that's. And how many.
Club championships has she won in golf?
She doesn't cheat at golf. So I would just ask people this, especially in a place like Michigan. Uh, look at the policies, look at the substance. I mean, you know, Donald Trump likes to portray himself as some kind of, you know, Expert businessman. And he came here to Detroit and he trashed the hell out of Detroit. He seems to be completely unaware, you know, that that Detroit has an investment grade bond rating now, for the first time in years, he's completely unaware of the renaissance that Detroit is experiencing, and totally the. I've had the chance to spend some time with Mayor Duggan and to talk to him about what's happening here in Detroit and the energy, the excitement around this city and this community. And those are the kinds of things that that we need leaders. We need people who are elected, who are paying attention. Donald Trump is completely focused on being, uh, being cruel. And the other thing that I would ask, especially the business community to remember, uh, our entire economy is based upon the rule of law.
It's based upon being able to count on stability, being able to count on an investment climate that is undergirded by the rule of law. Donald Trump is at war with the rule of law, and he his the his erratic nature, the extent to which you can't count on what he's going to do at all from one day to the next. And you can't count on anything that he says now. But but if you wouldn't hire somebody, if you wouldn't trust somebody to invest with them, then you can't make him president of the United States. It matters too much. And that's what's on the line this November.
So just because we're.
At the Detroit.
Economic Club, the when he talks about the economy, he portrays Trace this image that things were all fantastic when he was when he was president. I mean, I think he kind of forgets the shutdown of 2020. But, but but you know, but did everything was wonderful. And then all hell broke loose when when the Democrats came in. And he's a better steward of the economy. And the polling has largely shown I mean, there's some it seems to be shifting a little bit very recently, but that voters, generally, even voters that are not voting for him, give him have more confidence in Donald Trump than Kamala Harris on the economy.
Well, I think, you know, we've seen recent polls. Yes, recent polling that that and that's a that's a big thing. I mean, I think, you know, we always see in every election there's a big difference between sort of when people are talking about theoretically how they're going to vote. And then when you when the voting starts, when you get down to it. And there are a lot of things I think, that are making people really Uncomfortable about the economic policies and proposals that he's put forward. I mean, you've got The Wall Street Journal, which is certainly not been a fan of the Democrats, but the Wall Street Journal, making clear from having surveyed economists that his economic plans are going to increase inflation more than Vice President Harris's are his economic plans are going to add to the debt more, far more than Vice President Harris will. And I ask people to just think about one, one point. Donald Trump is now proposing massive, massive across the board tariffs. And while you can say, look, I disagree with, you know, a candidate's tax policies, you know, that in order to implement tax policy, a president has to get that through Congress.
They can't implement it unilaterally. tariffs are different. A president can do that unilaterally with executive authority. And as he did and write and and so when you but when you hear him talk now about a much more expansive you know he says it's the most beautiful word that there is and he's going to be a tariff president and he's going to impose tariffs of, you know, 100%, 200%. Um, think about the fact that he he will be able to do that completely unilaterally. And you all know the impact that that will have. The idea that that's not going to result in in costs being passed on to consumers and more broadly, we know what those kinds of massive tariffs did in terms of the Great Depression and adding to the Great Depression. So I really I think partly why you're seeing the polls start to shift is because people are are digging in and they're looking at what he's proposing And they're looking at his track record. And at the end of the day, the worst thing for the economy of the United States of America is to have a president who won't respect the rule of law.
A president who talks about deploying the military to go after the enemy within. A president who will create an America that is abandoned, fundamentally our adherence to the Constitution. And you can't delink those two things.
So when you talk about what happened on January 6th, and really importantly, the weeks that led up to January 6th and the efforts to overturn that presidential election, what do you say, especially to two fellow Republicans who, again, expressed many of the same concerns that you've expressed who say, look, that's the past. We've got to stop talking about January 6th. This is focused on the future. The policies of the, you know, of these two candidates. What do you what do you say to that argument that you know enough about January 6th? You know, it's.
Interesting to those people. I don't know who you're talking about, John. Um, but it's it's interesting, you know, if you if you look at the moments, the days and the weeks really right after January 6th, I think there there actually was a moment when the Republican Party could have taken that approach. Yeah. Um, you know, everyone in the party in leadership and not, I mean, elected in the House, almost everybody, you know, uh, said that that's it said this can never happen again. We have to reject what happened. Violence can't be part of our political process. So there was Kevin McCarthy said that. Yeah, even even Kevin McCarthy. Um, there was a moment when we could have we could have done that and said, this isn't who we are as a party, and we have to move forward. But but for a whole range of reasons. That's not the decision that people like Kevin McCarthy made, they decided instead. And in Kevin's case, it was because, um, large corporations around the country announced they wouldn't be giving money to Republicans in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol.
And Kevin had to he had to get access to funds. Uh, that was sort of what kept him in leadership. And so he decided to go down and see Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago, mostly to get access to his small dollar donor lists. But that really brought Donald Trump back into the fold. And, um, and so, you know, we're in a situation today where, um, the question facing us is, are we going to take that risk again? And I think that what I find is usually the people who say, uh, well, you know, we don't want to talk about January 6th are elected Republicans who have to rationalize that because if they face the truth about the the attack, then you can't justify continuing to support Donald Trump.
And I should say that there are those who say they don't want to, you know, stop talking about it, stop focusing on it. And then there are those who have totally rewritten the history of what happened on January 6th. Um, so I want to bring to you a moment. You know, obviously, one of the searing images of that day was the group of Trump supporters who were chanting, hang Mike pence. Yeah, hang Mike pence. Coupled with the fact that there was actually a gallows on the on the east side of the Capitol. Um, so you had that going on. You had what you described earlier, which is Donald Trump doing nothing for several hours inside the white House.
Well, and people pleading with him. Yes. Very human element. And people pleading with him.
Members of his family.
Right. To tell the mob to leave. And he wouldn't do it.
Um, But less than two months later, I sat down for an interview with Donald Trump in Mar-A-Lago. He had left the white House. Um, and I asked him, you're watching.
Republican former Congresswoman Liz Cheney in a conversation with our chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl in Detroit. Cheney has been an outspoken critic of former President Trump since the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Now she's hitting the campaign trail in support of Vice President Harris. She referred to Trump's inaction on January 6th, saying he is unfit, unstable and dangerous. She says Harris is committed to governing in a way that reflects the broad coalition of supporters, from Taylor Swift to Cheney's father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. I'm Stephanie Ramos. The news never stops, and neither do we. More news right after the break.
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Welcome back to ABC News Live. First, if you've missed the NBA, well, they are coming back. The NBA season begins tonight as the defending champions Boston Celtics are set to host the New York Knicks. The Celtics are seeking their 19th title, but to win, they'll have to buck recent history. The Warriors in 2018 were the last team to win back to back NBA titles. Let's discuss this this upcoming season with NBA legend and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. He played for the Dallas Mavericks for 21 seasons, leading them to a championship in 2011. Dirk, it is great to see you. Thanks for being with us.
Great to see you. Thanks for having me.
So, Dirk Boston beat your old team, the Mavs, in the finals last year, but what storylines have your attention going into this new NBA season as it gets ready to tip off?
Well, I think in the East a few. I think obviously Boston will be still the favorite. I think the Knicks making a move for for for towns is super interesting. How is he going to fit in with with that team and with Brunson? Um, I think Paul George going to Philadelphia I think is is a great fit. And I think they're going to be there when, when when it matters. So I think that those are some storylines, obviously in the East that we're all excited to see how it's going to play out. Uh, in the West, I think, you know, the same teams, you know, the Denver hopefully a Dallas with with adding Klay Thompson will be up there. I think Phoenix last year bringing the big three together with Beal and Durant and Booker didn't really work out. But I think this year they're going to be a better team and they're going to be ready. So the West is also stacked and it's going to be a fun season for sure.
Dirk, you're a trailblazer for international players. You're the first NBA MVP born in Europe. Since then, international players including Luka for the Mavs have become some of the league's best. So how does it make you feel to watch the game become so international?
Yeah, it's been amazing, honestly. When when I first got in the league, late 90s, there were a few Europeans, a few international players, and now it feels like every team has some international players and a lot of Europeans, of course, not only being players, but being franchise players, MVP caliber players. So it's been fun to watch the really the growth of the league, the growth of the game outside of the US. You could see it even in the Olympics this summer in Paris, which which showed some of our best talent in our game with, you know, with the US squeezing out at the end the win. But there were so many great, great plays and great players there. So I think the talent level is incredible. We have 30% now of the players in the NBA are born outside of the US. So that shows you how much the the game the league has grown. And so I'm very proud to be a small part of that. The last two decades.
And I can't wait to see where where the game keeps growing.
Yeah. And you got a front row seat to see how the international game has grown this past summer in Paris. So here in New York, there is a lot of buzz about the Knicks after they traded for Karl-Anthony towns. Towns. Towns. He has called himself the greatest big man shooter of all time. Dirk. You're about, I don't know, seven feet tall. You scored more than 30,000 points and made a jump shot or two in your day. So you're pretty familiar with this. So what do you think for? I mean, Best shooting. Best shooting. What are your thoughts on his height? How he shoots and in all this buzz around this young guy?
Yeah, I mean, he's he can definitely play. He's he's fun to watch. He's got a quick little set shot. So I mean I like his confidence level saying he's the best. I would never say I was the best at anything. But if he feels that way and he's got that confidence then that's that's obviously good for him. I think he's going to fit in great. Obviously with Jalen Brunson, who had an unbelievable year last year, and some of their other pieces they have around the toughness that they have and and adding his shooting and playmaking. Now he can score on the post. He can get out and obviously spread the floor. And so I think it's going to be great for New York. Um I still like I said pick pick Boston to come out of the East if they stay healthy. But New York is definitely up there at the end of the day.
And the confidence will certainly help him as well. You got to have the confidence, right? You're heading out on the court. You got to think big.
You need it for sure.
Former NBA player and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. Hope I got that right. Thank you so much for being here. My husband is going to be really proud of me for speaking basketball with you today. Thanks for your time. Thanks for having.
Me.
All the best.
Thanks. That'll do it for us. I'm Stephanie Ramos. And he's never stops. And neither do we. We have a lot more news coming up right after the break.
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We're live with the latest. It's the race to the finish line.
Good afternoon everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips. We are only two weeks.
Away.
And Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are doubling down on their media and battleground state blitz, hoping to punch their ticket to the white House. Trump just wrapped up a Latino Summit roundtable in Florida and is headed back to North Carolina for a campaign rally tonight. Harris is staying put in Washington, preparing for a multitude of television interviews. But former President Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and even President Joe Biden are all hitting the trail today on behalf of the VP and.
Talk about Star.
Power. Detroit based rapper Eminem introducing Obama later tonight and later this week, Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen is heading or headlining two concerts in battleground states for Harris. This all comes as a record breaking amount of Americans have already filled out their ballots in early voting. Washington Bureau Chief and political Director Rick Klein has more for us. Rick.
You're at nearly 17 million Americans have already voted this election cycle, 10 million plus in the last week alone. As expected, the voting pace is down a bit from early voting in 2020, when Covid upended voting patterns across the country. But to zoom in on a few big battlegrounds, this is what we see in Georgia. Of course, we won't know for another couple of weeks who people actually voted for, but we are seeing Republicans eating into the early voting advantage that Democrats had four years earlier. And in Pennsylvania, more likely, Democrats are voting early, but not by the same lopsided numbers in 2020. We can't know yet if that's a sign of momentum, or if these are people who voted on Election Day and are now listening to a Republican Party that, at least sometimes, is encouraging early voting. And this is what the latest FiveThirtyEight battleground state polling averages look like across the board. We've seen a tightening of this race, better numbers for Trump in a couple of states, including a new poll out in Georgia this morning, Trump with a four point lead in that critical battleground.
But 8% a big number, say they are still undecided. Vice President Harris she is focusing right now on the suburbs. Take a look at some of the places she's been in the last day or two. Big suburban areas outside major cities. And she'll be back in Delaware County, which is right outside Philadelphia, for a town hall tomorrow night. Those are the kind of places Harris needs to run up the score. Check this out. Delaware County, right outside Philly. Joe Biden was four points better than Hillary Clinton in the same numbers from four years earlier. Those are places that she has to do very well. She has to net big numbers of votes. As for Donald Trump, he'll be back in North Carolina again today after coming back to Florida, briefly scheduled to visit Greensboro, a bluer part of that state, Trump needs his voters to stay with him in that critical battleground. He won North Carolina four years ago, but it was the actually the closest margin of victory he had anywhere in the country.
Kyra.
All right, Rick, thank you so much. Okay. For more, let's bring in our senior white House correspondent, Selina Wang and senior reporter Katherine Faulders. Selina, what do these early voting numbers indicate about the election cycle so far, do you think?
Well, Kyra, actually, the latest numbers now show that more than 18 million.
People have already.
Cast their.
Ballots. Now, back in 2020, many people did mail in voting because of the pandemic. But we're seeing that many.
People are.
Continuing this.
Habit. So far, it looks like Democrats still.
Have the lead when it comes to mail in ballots. In those states that actually track mail in ballots by party registration. Democrats have a wide lead in battleground Pennsylvania. But in a place like Nevada, the.
Republicans are.
Really starting to cut into their.
Margins.
But look.
All of the polling at this point.
Here, it essentially shows the same thing, which is that this is an extremely tight.
Race, especially in those key battleground states. And in this final stretch, the strategies from Harris and Trump could.
Not be more different.
You see Vice President Harris.
Aggressively trying to reach out to independents and moderate Republicans. That's why she spent all day yesterday on the trail with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney in suburbs in the critical states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Trump, on.
The other hand, he is not trying to reach out to Democrats. He continues to call his political.
Opponents the enemy from within. And yesterday in North Carolina, he continued to spread falsehoods.
About the response to the hurricane.
This is just his M.O., that's for sure.
And Kathryn Trump is focused more on holding campaign.
Rallies, it seems.
Like, than doing more television interviews. Why the change in strategy? Because usually he loves being on TV.
Yeah, he does love being on TV. Maybe it's a question of what outlets he wants to sit down with. And look, I know that he has a heavy campaign schedule. He is out there campaigning with multiple stops a day. What he has been doing, though, and you'll remember this from his time at the white House, is he's been doing this under the wing gaggles, if you will, on the tarmac. There obviously have been press assembled there waiting for him to depart to various different events, and he has been talking to the press. Of course, that's a situation that's more informal that you can easily walk away from when you don't want to take any more questions. So I think it's a combination of all of that. Well, Selina, former President Barack.
Obama and Bill Clinton now holding.
Rallies on behalf.
Of Harris. But Biden is only visiting a campaign office today in New Hampshire. Why hasn't Joe Biden doing more for the VP?
Well, he is also in New Hampshire for an.
Official event along.
With Senator Bernie Sanders. This is all about highlighting.
The achievements.
Of his administration to lower the cost of prescription drugs. But you are right. New Hampshire, this is not.
A battleground.
State. He is in a very easily blue state. The Harris campaign could have chosen to send him to some of those.
More critical.
Battlegrounds.
But the reality here is that you've seen Harris, in more.
Recent interviews, try to subtly distance herself from the Biden administration because one of her.
Key vulnerabilities is voter frustrations.
About.
The state of the economy under the Biden Harris.
Administration.
Even though the numbers show that the economy is strong and improving and that inflation.
Is slowing, a lot of voters.
They just.
Aren't feeling it. So that's part of the reason why you aren't seeing her out on the.
Trail with President Biden. On the other hand, she is setting out some of her heavyweight surrogates, which includes former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack.
Obama, out in.
Battleground states today. While she is.
Not on the trail.
Today, and she's also going to be relying on some.
Superstars.
Including Bruce Springsteen, who's going to be on the trail.
With her later this week and next week.
All right.
And Catherine Trump is already laying the groundwork. The Democrats are cheating. Let's take a listen.
Because if we lose this election, we may not have a country anymore. We may not. We never. And I've heard this from a lot of very smart people that are very straight down the middle. They say we may never have an election again in this country. This is where we're going.
All right. That is so not true. So why does Trump just continue to do this?
It's not an how you phrase this in terms of laying the groundwork, if you will, on the front end. This is what we saw him do in the last election in 2020. So he's essentially laying the groundwork to say that he won't accept the election results if he loses. Of course, he's been asked that question multiple times, and so is his running mate, JD Vance. They've said if this election is free and fair, but that's what you're seeing Trump do. Now, we know that he's already laid the groundwork. And Republicans have, at least in various different states, to mount legal challenges should they believe that there should be in various different states. We've already seen them doing that even before the election. So I think it's something that you will continue to hear Trump say, even though it's just not true.
All right.
Catherine, Selena, a couple more weeks. Thank you. So Secretary of State.
Antony Blinken is in Tel Aviv right now. He's meeting with.
Israeli Prime Minister.
Benjamin Netanyahu.
And it's part of the Biden administration's push for a ceasefire in Gaza. They're not giving up. Blinken is addressing several matters during the visit, including the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in a way that provides lasting security for both Israelis and Palestinians. U.S. officials are hoping that the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will help push both sides toward some type of resolution, but until that happens, Israel continues, it will continue to target terrorist strongholds in both Gaza and Lebanon, despite the growing civilian death toll. Just today, Lebanon's Ministry of Health says that 13 people were killed, including one child, after an IDF strike near the country's largest public hospital. Our foreign correspondent, Tom Soufi Burridge is in Tel Aviv for us. So, Tom, what do we know about Blinken's meeting with Netanyahu? And let's talk more about just the main objectives of this visit. Of course, a cease fire is.
Front and center.
It is Kyra. Yeah. I mean, we know that the meeting between Netanyahu and Blinken lasted 2.5 hours. I mean, in terms of the objectives of this trip, I think that's quite a hard question to answer, really, because when you and I were speaking a few months ago, over the course of the last few months, on multiple occasions when Blinken was here pushing for that ceasefire in Gaza, it felt like Hamas and the Israeli government were really round the table, figuratively speaking. And there was the nitty gritty of a potential deal was on the table. We're not at that point now. I mean, now the IDF is pushing on with its offensive in northern Gaza. There's a very dire humanitarian picture on the ground right there. And, you know, there isn't a the prospect of any breakthrough in terms of a ceasefire, either in Gaza or in Lebanon, even though US officials with Secretary of State Blinken are saying that is the aim of the trip. I mean, I think look, in the run up to the US election, the administration is showing us voters that they are still doing what they can to try and dial down the temperature in this region and alleviate the suffering of people in Gaza, for example, pressuring the Israeli government on aid into the strip.
But, you know, the prospects of any major breakthrough on this trip are, you know, not far off zero, really. And I think the major issue, which maybe the two men today might have been talking about a fair amount, is Israel's planned retaliation against Iran. That is obviously a fear of the US administration that that could happen soon and and lead to a wider escalation.
So Lebanon's Ministry of Health is saying that more than 2500 civilians have now been killed.
Since.
Last year. What's the latest on Israel's operations there?
Yeah, and more than 60 killed in the last 24 hours, Kyra. More than 230 injured, according to Lebanese officials. So, you know, the imagery coming out of Lebanon today is pretty shocking. I mean, we're seeing the IDF take down entire buildings. The IDF saying one building, for example, was being used as a Hezbollah facility. ABC news spoke to a resident there who had got out, because the IDF did tell people to evacuate out of that building before they hit it. And the resident said he saw no, uh, no evidence or no activity, which he described as suspicious over the time of the three years that he lived in that building. The IDF has been hitting financial, uh, the financial organization of Hezbollah buildings. I mean, they are civilian buildings, but the IDF says that they are effectively, this quasi bank is being used to fund Hezbollah's activities. We've seen strikes near Beirut International Airport. We've seen massive strikes down in the south in the city of tire.
So clearly Israel's operations in Lebanon appear to be escalating to.
Well, and humanitarian organizations are still.
Warning of the dire lack of aid getting into Gaza. Is anything getting in at all at this point?
It is. I mean, the the Israeli authorities have put out a statement today saying, you know, dozens of trucks have got in over the course of the last week into northern Gaza. But as we said on multiple occasions, Kiera, the problem isn't simply getting the aid in and not enough aid according to the UN, is getting in at all. But even the aid that is getting in. I mean, it's not able to reach the areas where there's the highest need and the areas right now where there's the highest need is Jabalia, this refugee camp densely populated up in the north, where the IDF is really conducting a serious military operation, trying to root out what Hamas fighters are still there in this area. We're seeing the IDF move hundreds, if not thousands of people, mainly civilians, we believe from from the imagery and from the testimony of local people on the ground. Out of that area, we don't know where they're going to go. So it's a very, very difficult picture. And we're seeing evidence of very high numbers of casualties in that operation.
Yeah.
It's heartbreaking. And that.
Really puts it in perspective.
When you see those overhead shots. Tom. Tom Soufi Burridge, appreciate you coming up. Both candidates promising to save Social Security. But one of their plans could force a huge cut in benefits. We're crunching the numbers for you next.
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Heard of the Congressional Budget Office? Don't fall asleep on me. This really is important for you to know as you think about your golden years. They might just be cut short financially. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget is actually predicting that Trump's vision for Social Security would cause the program to go bankrupt three years early. That means all of you 58 year olds shouldn't bank on getting that cash via Social Security. Come 65, they say that Harris plans, on the other hand, would not have large effects on Social Security's trust fund solvency. Let's bring in our Elizabeth Schulze. She's going to tell us how we can all still plan on enjoying that margarita on the beach as soon as we turn 70, or whatever it is you like to drink. All right. Elizabeth, what exactly is Trump proposing?
First of all, Kyra.
No one should.
Ever fall asleep when they hear Congressional Budget Office. We're talking about your hard earned money. We're going to make this so interesting. And here's why people should care. We're talking about 67 million Americans who rely on Social Security. And what Trump is proposing is a pretty significant cut to those benefits. If the series of plans that he's put forward do end up going into place. So when you look at Trump's economic proposals, of course we hear a lot about those sweeping tariffs that he's talking about. He talks about lowering the corporate tax rate beyond what he already did, which was really his signature legislative accomplishment in his first term. He also wants to end taxes on tips, something that Vice President Harris, he says copied in her platform. And then look there. That last bullet eliminate the tax on Social Security wages. What's critical about that is that right now, taxes are collected when you earn money from Social Security, and that ends up being a critical revenue stream to fund that program in the future.
So basically by Trump saying he wants to end those taxes, which would give immediate relief to maybe some seniors now, it would risk basically running out of money for Social Security going forward so that trust fund could run out of money in six years. This is according to the nonpartisan this is a nonpartisan analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. If without Trump's plans, we're looking at nine years, that that fund would run out of money, and then that 33% benefit cut is pretty significant. What that means is that if there is no other way to fund this, this critical program, you would see your benefits go down by 33%. And for a lot of seniors who are relying on that income, that is a pretty big deal when you think about the day to day finances.
Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
And so what do what should Americans do with all this information now? Start saving more. Investing more. Buy gold bars. I mean, this is where you need to help us out here. Tell us what you know folks need to do.
Okay, so I don't know that we're at the point of buying gold bars yet, that we have seen a lot of people do that at Costco with, like, the gold rush that's happened there. What? The key line here is that this is a problem, regardless of who the next president is and what this committee of a responsible federal budget has been saying frankly, for years, Kara, is this is something that lawmakers should start to think about now, and they want the public awareness about the fact that there need to be these long term solutions, because that fund will run out of money in nine years without any changes. And just as far as the dollar amount that that would cost a typical two income household $16,500 in annual benefits within the next couple of years. So what do you want to do right now? I guess the first thing is just an awareness about this. The second thing to think about is always starting small when you're starting to save. So even if you're way far off from that age that you're thinking about collecting Social Security benefits, probably not a bad idea to have this in the back of your mind of what would I need to do?
What kind of income would I need to have? I talked to a lot of younger household care who say they actually aren't relying on Social Security. They don't expect that Congress will be able to come together to find some sort of solution. I think we've seen here that usually there is some sort of last minute deal, but this is one that will require significant legislation to address this shortfall. So starting small, thinking about that budget over time. Maybe not quite time to to buy the gold bars yet, but also just when you're thinking about your savings overall, you always want to think about company matches. That's something that a lot of people leave on the table. When you're thinking about your 401 K or your own savings plans, and you also want to think about trying to invest in a way that can give you those returns over the long term. A lot of people have money sitting in savings. They're not earning returns on those on those savings. They're not in a high yield savings account. They're not even maybe invested in a portfolio with stocks and bonds.
That is one way to leave money on the table, and that is something you don't want to do when you're thinking about your long term savings and finances.
That is great.
Great advice. And bottom line. People care about Social Security checks, especially older Americans, right? They usually are the ones who always turn out to vote. So I'm curious, will this increase turnout, uh, for voting in a couple of weeks?
It's it's so notable because we've actually seen just in the past 24 hours since this analysis came out, Vice President Harris has tried to make this a line of attack that former President Trump would put the solvency of this program under threat. But the reality is we've been talking about it's under threat anyways. And her program, while she vows to protect Social Security, doesn't really do much to address that longer term issue, both of the candidates have said they want to protect Social Security. They know that this is a very important for seniors. Nine out of ten people over the age of 65 rely on those benefits. They do not want to risk alienating those critical voters, but have yet to put forward any plans. When you just think about their overall economic agendas, Kyra, that would address how to raise revenue. No one likes to talk about raising taxes. Definitely don't like to talk about raising taxes or other ways to raise revenue in the final two weeks of a presidential campaign.
That is a point well made.
Elizabeth Schultz, thank you so much. You made Social Security exciting. Thanks, Elizabeth. All right. Well, we've got this chilling new video now that actually shows all the chaos after that deadly dock collapse in Georgia. Seven people were killed when the gangway came crashing down over the weekend. Survivors are also sharing a lot of the harrowing details that they experienced. Our faith Abubey was there and does have the latest, but we do want to warn you that you may find this video pretty disturbing.
The shock and anguish at the scene of a deadly dock gangway collapse in Georgia, laid bare in a new video. Oh my God.
Where's my heart? It was shot moments after the structure plunged.
Down, sending at least 20 people into the water Saturday afternoon. It's hard. People desperately hanging onto the railings. Others in the water struggling to stay afloat.
I've never been.
So frightened in my life. Diane Bloodworth swept under. She says it took about a minute before she could resurface for air. This gentleman threw a life vest on me and said, I got you. I'm not going to let you go. He's holding my head up so that I wouldn't go under. Diane is 80 year old aunt nearby, tightly hanging onto a rope, fighting for her life. I ran towards the edge of the dock. I got on my stomach and I reached my hands out and Miss Bertha grabbed me. Katherine Snead helping get her to safety. Bertha is still in the ICU, reuniting with her hero. Her son telling us she's traumatized.
Jumping up, screaming, yelling, reaching and grabbing. She has muscle muscle damage in both her legs and her back. She also has some damaged lungs.
The walkway collapse killed seven other senior citizens, including Zelda Johnson's cousin and her husband and Kyra. As you saw there, I've been speaking with some of the survivors, and they tell me that they are still struggling with the trauma of that deadly collapse. They remember that chaos at the scene, the deaths around them, one of them even telling me that even though she has family members on that island, she won't go back until she feels that there's a safer pier. In the meantime, though, some of the families of the victims and the survivors, they've retained lawyers, including well-known attorney Ben Crump. They claim that this was a preventable disaster caused by negligence, and now they're demanding justice and answers.
Kyra, we'll follow it. Thanks so much, Faith. Coming up, mystery in Seattle. What happened in this house that left five people dead? We've got the details. Next.
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So glad you're streaming with us. Some other top headlines we're tracking for you this hour. A teenager is in custody after five people were found shot to death in a home outside of Seattle. Sheriff's deputies say the victims were two adults and three young teens. It's not known yet how they're all related. Another teen was also injured and taken to a hospital. It's believed they all lived in the house where the bodies were found. It's a move that could make a difference in a crucial swing state. The Biden administration says it will provide up to $325 million for a new semiconductor parts factory in Michigan. Funding for the Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation would create 180 new manufacturing jobs in a county that Donald Trump won in 2016, but swung to Joe Biden four years ago, and 99 bottles of beer on the road. 99 bottles of beer. Yeah, that's a tractor trailer crash early this morning on I-70, and it did send cans and cans of beer spilling out onto the highway in western Maryland. One man was actually taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Three lanes of traffic were shut down while officials cleaned up the sudsy spill. The news never stops. You can find us anywhere. You stream live news. And if you're on the go, we are on the ABC news app and ABC news.com I'm Kyra Phillips. Glad you're streaming with us, but we do have a lot more news up next, so don't go far.
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Potential deal was on the table. We're not at that point now. I mean, now the IDF is pushing on with its offensive in northern Gaza. There's a very dire humanitarian picture on the ground right there. And, you know, there isn't a the prospect of any breakthrough in terms of a ceasefire, either in Gaza or in Lebanon. Even though US officials with Secretary of State Blinken are saying that is the aim of the trip. I mean, I think, look, in the run up to the US election, the administration is showing us voters that they are still doing what they can to try and dial down the temperature in this region and alleviate the suffering of people in Gaza, for example, pressuring the Israeli government on aid into the strip. But, you know, the prospects of any major breakthrough on this trip are, you know, not far off zero, really. And I think the major issue, which maybe the two men today might have been talking about a fair amount, is Israel's planned retaliation against Iran.
That is obviously a fear of the US administration that that could happen soon and and lead to a wider escalation.
So Lebanon's Ministry of Health is saying that more than 2500 civilians have now been killed since last year. What's the latest on Israel's operations there?
Yeah, and more than 60 killed in the last 24 hours. More than 230 injured, according to Lebanese officials. So, you know, the imagery coming out of Lebanon today is pretty shocking. I mean, we're seeing the IDF take down entire buildings. The IDF saying one building, for example, was being used as a Hezbollah facility. ABC news spoke to a resident there who had got out, because the IDF did tell people to evacuate out of that building before they hit it. And the residents said he saw no, uh, no evidence or no activity, which he described as suspicious over the time of the three years that he lived in that building. The IDF has been hitting financial, uh, the financial organization of Hezbollah buildings. I mean, they are civilian buildings, but the IDF says that they are effectively, this quasi bank is being used to fund Hezbollah's activities. We've seen strikes near Beirut International Airport. We've seen massive strikes down in the south in the city of tire. So clearly, Israel's operations in Lebanon appear to be escalating to well.
And humanitarian organizations are still warning of the dire lack of aid getting into Gaza. Is anything getting in at all at this point?
It is. I mean, the the Israeli authorities have put out a statement today saying, you know, dozens of trucks have got in over the course of the last week into northern Gaza. But as we said on multiple occasions, Kira, the problem isn't simply getting the aid in and not enough aid, according to the UN, is getting in at all. But even the aid that is getting in. I mean, it's not able to reach the areas where there's the highest need, and the areas right now where there's the highest need is Jabalia, this refugee camp, densely populated up in the north, where the IDF is really conducting a serious military operation, trying to root out what Hamas fighters are still there in this area. We're seeing the IDF move hundreds, if not thousands of people, mainly civilians. We believe from from the imagery and from the testimony of local people on the ground out of that area. We don't know where they're going to go. So it's a very, very difficult picture.
And we're seeing evidence of very high numbers of casualties in that operation.
Yeah.
It's heartbreaking. And that.
Really puts it in perspective when you see.
Those.
Overhead shots. Tom. Tom appreciate you coming up. Both candidates promising to save Social Security. But one of their plans could force a huge cut in benefits. We're crunching the numbers for you next.
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Heard of the Congressional Budget Office? Don't fall asleep on me. This really is important for you to know as you think about your golden years. They might just be cut short financially. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget is actually predicting that Trump's vision for Social Security would cause the program to go bankrupt three years early. That means all of you 58 year olds shouldn't bank on getting that cash via Social Security. Come 65, they say that Harris plans, on the other hand, would not have large effects on Social Security's trust fund solvency. Let's bring in our Elizabeth Schulze. She's going to tell us how we can all still plan on enjoying that margarita on the beach as soon as we turn 70, or whatever it is you like to drink. All right. Elizabeth, what exactly is Trump proposing?
First of all, Kyra, no one should ever fall asleep when they hear Congressional Budget Office. We're talking about your hard earned money. We're going to make this so interesting. And here's why people should care. We're talking about 67 million Americans who rely on Social Security. And what Trump is proposing is a pretty significant cut to those benefits. If the series of plans that he's put forward do end up going into place. So when you look at Trump's economic proposals, of course, we hear a lot about those sweeping tariffs that he's talking about. He talks about lowering the corporate tax rate beyond what he already did, which was really his signature legislative accomplishment in his first term. He also wants to end taxes on tips, something that Vice President Harris, he says, copied in her platform. And then look there, that last bullet eliminate the tax on Social Security wages. What's critical about that is that right now, taxes are collected when you earn money from Social Security, and that ends up being a critical revenue stream to fund that program in the future.
So basically by Trump saying he wants to end those taxes, which would give immediate relief to maybe some seniors now, it would risk basically running out of money from Social Security going forward so that trust fund could run out of money in six years. This is according to the nonpartisan it's a nonpartisan analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. If without Trump's plans, we're looking at nine years, that that fund would run out of money, and then that 33% benefit cut is pretty significant. What that means is that if there is no other way to fund this, this critical Program, you would see your benefits go down by 33%. And for a lot of seniors who are relying on that income, that is a pretty big deal when you think about the day to day finances.
Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
And so what do what should Americans do with all this information now? Start saving more. Investing more. Buy gold bars. I mean, this is where you need to help us out here. Tell us what you know folks need to do.
Okay, so I don't know that we're at the point of buying gold bars yet, that we have seen a lot of people do that at Costco with, like, the gold rush that's happened there. What? The key line here is that this is a problem, regardless of who the next president is and what this committee of a responsible federal budget has been saying frankly for years. Kara, is this is something that lawmakers should start to think about now, and they want the public awareness about the fact that there need to be these long term solutions, because that fund will run out of money in nine years without any changes. And just as far as the dollar amount that that would cost a typical two income household $16,500 in annual benefits within the next couple of years. So what do you want to do? Right now? I guess the first thing is just an awareness about this. The second thing to think about is always starting small when you're starting to save. So even if you're way far off from that age that you're thinking about collecting Social Security benefits, probably not a bad idea to have this in the back of your mind of what would I need to do?
What kind of income would I need to have? I talked to a lot of younger household care who say they actually aren't relying on Social Security. They don't expect that Congress will be able to come together to find some sort of solution. I think we've seen here that usually there is some sort of last minute deal, but this is one that will require significant legislation to address this shortfall. So starting small, thinking about that budget over time, maybe not quite time to to buy the gold bars yet. But also just when you're thinking about your savings overall, you always want to think about company matches. That's something that a lot of people leave on the table. When you're thinking about your 401 K or your own savings plans, and you also want to think about trying to invest in a way that can give you those returns over the long term. A lot of people have money sitting in savings. They're not earning returns on those on those savings. They're not in a high yield savings account. They're not even maybe invested in a portfolio with stocks and bonds.
That is one way to leave money on the table, and that is something you don't want to do when you're thinking about your long term savings and finances.
That is great. Great advice. And bottom line. People care about Social Security checks, especially older Americans, right? They usually are the ones who always turn out to vote. So I'm curious, will this increase turnout for voting in a couple of weeks?
It's so it's so notable because we've actually seen just in the past 24 hours since this analysis came out, Vice President Harris has tried to make this a line of attack that former President Trump would put the solvency of this program under threat. But the reality is we've been talking about it's under threat anyways. And her program, while she vows to protect Social Security, doesn't really do much to address that longer term issue, both of the candidates have said they want to protect Social Security. They know that this is a very important for seniors. Nine out of ten people over the age of 65 rely on those benefits. They do not want to risk alienating those critical voters, but have yet to put forward any plans. When you just think about their overall economic agendas, Kyra, that would address how to raise revenue. No one likes to talk about raising taxes. Definitely don't like to talk about raising taxes or other ways to raise revenue in the final two weeks of a presidential campaign.
That is a point well made.
Elizabeth Schultz, thank you so much. You made Social Security exciting. Thanks, Elizabeth. All right. Well, we've got this chilling new video now that actually shows all the chaos after that deadly dock collapse in Georgia. Seven people were killed when the gangway came crashing down over the weekend. Survivors are also sharing a lot of the harrowing details that they experienced. Our faith Abubey was there and does have the latest, but we do want to warn you that you may find this video pretty disturbing.
The shock and anguish at the scene of a deadly dock gangway collapse in Georgia, laid bare in a new video. Oh my God, where's my heart? It was shot moments.
After the.
Structure plunged down, sending at least 20 people into the water Saturday afternoon. Please. Horror. People desperately hanging onto the railings. Others in the water struggling to stay afloat.
I've never been.
More so.
Frightened in my life. Diane Bloodworth swept under. She says it took about a minute before she could resurface for air. This gentleman threw a life vest on me and said, I got you. I'm not going to let you go. He's holding my head up so that I wouldn't go under. Diane, 80 year old aunt nearby, tightly hanging onto a rope, fighting for her life. I ran towards the edge of the dock. I got on my stomach and I reached my hands out and Miss Bertha grabbed me. Catherine Sneed helping get her to safety. Bertha is still in the ICU, reuniting with her hero, her son telling us she's traumatized.
Jumping up, screaming, yelling, reaching and grabbing. She has muscle muscle damage in both her legs and her back. She also has some damaged lungs.
The walkway collapse killed seven other senior citizens, including Zelda Johnson's cousin and her husband and Kyra. As you saw there, I've been speaking with some of the survivors, and they tell me that they are still struggling with the trauma of that deadly collapse. They remembered that chaos at the scene, the deaths around them, one of them even telling me that even though she has family members on that island, she won't go back until she feels that there's a safer pier. In the meantime, though, some of the families of the victims and the survivors, they've retained lawyers, including well-known attorney Ben Crump. They claim that this was a preventable disaster caused by negligence, and now they're demanding justice and answers. Kara.
We'll follow it. Thanks so much, Faith. Coming up, mystery in Seattle. What happened in this house that left five people dead? We've got the details next.
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Some other top headlines we're tracking for you this hour. A teenager is in custody after five people were found shot to death in a home outside of Seattle. Sheriff's deputies say the victims were two adults and three young teens. It's not known yet how they're all related. Another teen was also injured and taken to a hospital. It's believed they all lived in the house where the bodies were found. It's a move that could make a difference in a crucial swing state. The Biden administration says it will provide up to $325 million for a new semiconductor parts factory in Michigan. Funding for the Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation would create 180 new manufacturing jobs in a county that Donald Trump won in 2016, but swung to Joe Biden four years ago, and 99 bottles of beer on the road. 99 bottles of beer. Yeah, that's a tractor trailer crash early this morning on I-70, and it did send cans and cans of beer spilling out onto the highway in western Maryland. One man was actually taken to the hospital as a precaution.
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Two weeks after winning the latest polls, campaign stunts and policies impacting your vote in the final push to November 5th, call it the litigation election armies of lawyers on both sides already in court well before Election day. What it means for your vote this hour and a window for diplomacy. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel hoping to get ceasefire talks back on track. We're live in Tel Aviv with the latest. So it's the race to the finish line. Good afternoon everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips. We are only two weeks away. Can you believe it? And Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are doubling down on their media and battleground state blitz, hoping to punch their ticket to the white House. Trump just wrapped up a Latino Summit roundtable in Florida and is headed back to North Carolina for a campaign rally tonight. Harris is staying put in Washington, D.C., preparing for a multitude of television interviews. But former President Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, even President Joe Biden are hitting the trail today on behalf of the VP and talk about star power.
Will the real Slim Shady please rally up Detroit based rapper Eminem in throwing Obama later tonight. Also this week, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen headlining two concerts in battleground Georgia and Pennsylvania for Harris. All this coming as a record breaking amount of Americans have already filled out their ballots in early voting. Joining me now, senior white House correspondent Selina Wang and senior reporter Katherine Faulders. Selina, what is Harris's strategy in the final stretch?
Yeah, Kyra, we've only got two weeks to go, and Harris is trying to do a few things. She's trying to turn out all of the voters, get them off the couch if they've already decided they want to vote for her. Then secondly, she's.
Also been reaching out.
To these moderate and independent voters with the series of events that she did yesterday with.
Former Republican.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney. She was in battlegrounds, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, specifically targeting.
Suburban women with the message that even if they are.
Fiscally conservative, even if they lean right on issues.
Like abortion.
They still have a.
Home within the Democratic Party. Now, contrast that.
With Donald Trump, who is clearly not trying to reach out to Democrats.
In fact, he.
Continues to call his political opponents the enemy.
From within.
And the.
Harris campaign.
They are capitalizing on statements from Trump.
Like that in these final few weeks.
One of her key closing messages is that Trump is a threat.
To the nation, a.
Threat to democracy. So in her rally, she's been using.
His own words.
Against him. But Keir, it is interesting that in.
These final two weeks, at least for.
These next couple of.
Days, she is.
Focusing a lot more on television interviews and instead she's deploying her surrogates out her top surrogates.
Including former Presidents Clinton and Obama.
And she's bringing in some major.
Star power, with.
Bruce Springsteen joining her on.
The trail later this.
Week as well. Kyra.
All right. Well, Catherine, during Trump's roundtable with Latino voters in Florida, he spent more time complaining about campaign schedules than actually talking about the issues.
Let's listen.
She's sleeping right now. She couldn't go on the trail. You know, you think when you have 14 days left, you wouldn't be sleeping. She's not doing anything today. I was going to hit her really hard on the trail today. But now I don't have to because she's off. She's off now. I can't get over it. Who the hell takes off? You have 14 days left and she'll take a couple of more days off, too. You know why? She's lazy as hell and she's got that reputation.
All right. We're so close in this election.
Why is Trump just not taking advantage of this opportunity to talk to the Latino voters?
Yeah, it's a good question. And typically when he does have these events where where it's either Latino voter outreach, where it's in the battleground states, where it's trying to target a demographic, if you will, that will be important to November. He does tend to veer off course as you just played. So he knows, though his campaign at least knows behind the scenes that this demographic, the Latino demographic, is hugely important to his election in November. We do know that Harris leads in that demographic, but that lead is narrowing and there is less support there than in the past that Democrats have with the Latino voters. So he will certainly still at least try to focus on that. Both sides here know that there that this election really will come down to a small group of people.
So Selena Harris is expected to head to Houston later this week to warn of a national abortion ban. Why campaign in Texas and not Georgia, one of the battleground states?
Yeah, I mean, it's a great question. And it is raising some.
Eyebrows, but the way you have to look at it.
According to the campaign, is that this is less about Texas in.
Specific, but.
It's about using Texas to drive this national message. And this is about highlighting the extreme abortion ban in Texas, the strict abortion ban, and.
Using it to talk.
About an issue that they believe is going to drive voters to the polls.
And that is.
Reproductive rights. This is one of the issues where Harris has a clear advantage over Donald Trump. While Trump still holds the leads in polls when it comes to issues like the economy and immigration.
Voters and polls say that they trust.
Harris more on the issue of women's reproductive rights. And she's going to make the argument.
That if Trump is elected again, you're going to see a.
Continuation of what she's calling these extreme Trump abortion bans, and she's going to highlight the dangers of that and how it's going to put more women's lives at risk. You've seen Harris in recent months. She's been out on the.
Trail with women who've had life.
Threatening circumstances. They weren't able to get the critical need care that they needed in time. And that's the message she's going to drive home in Texas.
So, Katherine, early voting has hit a record high. Why is potentially good news? I guess it could be potentially good news for Donald Trump now.
It could be. We just don't really know yet. And it's hard to compare to 2020, frankly, when there was early voting because that was during the pandemic. So it's not really comparing apples to apples there. But we do know that Trump and Republicans well, in the past they've had mixed messages about early voting. They haven't totally encouraged their supporters to go to the polls and vote early. We do know that Republicans have been encouraging that. So if you look at you're looking at the vote totals, of course, right there as of October of 22, you see obviously that, um, it's a bit 40, 45 to 43 in terms of you're right, we're comparing them side by side there. So look, I think it's hard to tell right now because it really is hard to compare. But the reality is there is record turnout here in Pennsylvania and in Georgia. And that will continue. It could benefit Donald Trump.
All right. Selina Wang, Catherine Fowler, stay tuned. Thank you ladies. Well, it's definitely a more aggressive pre-election legal strategy. As November 5th quickly approaches, former President Trump and the Republican National Committee have already engaged in more than 130 election lawsuits across 26 states, while Vice President Harris's attorneys say Democrats have intervened in dozens of baseless Republican lawsuits to debunk their lies and defeat them in court. Joining me now, investigative reporter Olivia Rubin. So, Olivia, we saw Trump and his allies scramble to challenge the 2020 election loss. What difference can these already filed lawsuits have this time around, do you think?
Well, Kyra, the difference really is the timing on this aggressive litigation push where we saw a lot of it after the 2020 election, in the 2020 cycle. Now, what we're seeing is this aggressive push before the election, targeting what kinds of ballots are going to end up counting, trying to sort of get some of those thrown out, targeting different laws, different deadlines, whether, for example, in Pennsylvania, voters should be notified or not, whether their ballots that they sent in by mail had a defect or not. So that's not to say that we didn't see these types of things before the 2020 election. Only after we certainly did. But now there is this very clear, aggressive push from the RNC in coordination with the Trump campaign to get this in before. And I can tell you, I spoke to, you know, one top Trump ally who is a fierce defender of the former president, saying Trump learned his lesson from 2020. And there is this new what they say coordinated aggressive legal team going to the courts now instead of after the election.
So if Trump wins, will all these pre engaged lawsuits just get tossed?
Well I certainly think we'll see less of an aggressive push from at least the right going to the courts. I will say, you know there's we don't want to ever discount it. We keep going back to what we saw in 2020, like we saw flooding the courts for certain. But I do think, you know, a lot of this is in preparation. Should the former president lose. We don't know what the Harris campaign will necessarily do if she is the one that loses. But I will say just having, you know, also spoken to a number of election officials and local election officials in the battleground counties. Many of them are bracing for this litigation in the case, of course, should Donald Trump lose?
Well, and let's talk about Democrats and how they're fighting back against these baseless.
Claims as well.
It's really fascinating. The Democrats, too, are mounting this aggressive opposition to Republicans in courts. We were speaking to lawyers with the Harris campaign who said that they have intervened in 35 cases with the DNC around the country. And really, Kyra, what's so fascinating about this is this is a years long effort for Democrats. They told us that it was immediately after Joe Biden took office in 2021. Of course, the cloud of the 2020 election hanging over the cloud of January 6th, hanging over. They immediately got together and started planning this legal effort, which is really years in the making. And if you, you know, look at this story that I reported out with Will Steakin Brueggeman the whole team there. There's this internal memo we got from the Harris campaign that lays out their strategy pretty in one clear line, it says debunk their lies, defeat them in court. They have thousands of pages drafted already. They have told us so. It will be a matter of seeing what happens after the election as well.
Stay tuned. Olivia Rubin, thank you. So Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Tel Aviv meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials still hoping to push for a ceasefire in Gaza. Right now, families of hostages still being held by Hamas are gathering outside Blinken's hotel, as U.S. officials hope the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will help push both sides towards some kind of resolution. But until that happens, Israel says it will continue to target terrorist strongholds in both Gaza and Lebanon despite the growing civilian death toll just today. Video capturing the moments an IDF missile struck near Lebanon's largest public hospital, killing 13 people, including one child. Our foreign correspondent Tom Burridge is in Tel Aviv with more Tom.
Yeah, we know Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Netanyahu met for 2.5 hours in terms of what Blinken is trying to achieve on this trip, I think it's quite hard to say, really. I mean, look, US officials are saying he is pushing the notion that after the death of the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, this is an opportunity. The US believes, for, you know, a reset in terms of talks and a push for not only a ceasefire but also trying to work towards, you know, what Gaza will look like after the war. Also trying to pressure the Israeli government on getting more aid into the Gaza Strip, also trying to get some kind of diplomatic momentum for a ceasefire in Lebanon in terms of Israel's war against Hezbollah. But I think, like at the moment, most of this trip is designed to show the American public in the run up to the election that the administration is not giving up. And it's working around the clock, as it has done for the last few months, to try, sadly unsuccessfully, to bring the conflict in Gaza, the conflict in Lebanon, to a close look.
The Lebanese situation, the situation in Lebanon has definitely escalated in the last couple of days. I mean, we're seeing the imagery out of there, the IDF taking out entire buildings. One building in Beirut, for example, the IDF calling it a Hezbollah facility. ABC news did speak to a man who says he lived in that building for the last three years with his family, and he says he saw no suspicious activity, suggesting that Hezbollah was using that building. But the IDF has also been taking out buildings related to Hezbollah's financial arm, a kind of quasi bank which the IDF says Hezbollah is using to fund its operations. So the war in Lebanon seems to be escalating. The war in northern Gaza seems to be escalating, where the humanitarian situation picture is dire. And all the while, Anthony Blinken is here talking to Prime Minister Netanyahu. I think one of the key issues on the agenda is clearly Israel's plan to launch that retaliatory strike against Iran and the US desire that it doesn't lead to a wider escalation and potentially a direct all out war between Israel and Iran.
Kyra.
Tom Stuifbergen for us in Tel Aviv. Tom. Thanks. Well, testimony now underway in the federal retrial of Brett Hankison, a former Louisville police officer charged in the death of Breonna Taylor. One of Henderson's fellow officers, Myles Cosgrove, who was fired for killing Taylor, testified he was shocked when he says Hankison opened fire through covered windows without seeing a target, and that he was almost hit. Hankison is charged with violating the civil rights of Taylor, her boyfriend and their neighbors during the botched 2020 raid. An initial trial ended in a mistrial last year. He has pleaded not guilty. Let's bring in our legal contributor, Shawna Loyd, for more. So, Shawna, the prosecution called Hankison's actions unfathomably dangerous, but his defense argued that even if he violated policy, a policy violation is not always a criminal act. So what will be the prosecution strategy here for proving that a crime was committed?
So the prosecution is really going to tie his actions to the violation that they see of her civil rights, along with the other neighbors that were potentially endangered, endangered by his actions. So the prosecution is really going to hone in on the fact that even though this was a departure from the department standards, this also took the extra steps of violating those civil rights, and that that is why he should be convicted under these particular charges.
So this is the third trial in a row where we heard from one of Hankison's coworkers, Officer Myles Cosgrove. He says that he was shocked when Hankison actually opened fire. What are your takeaways from his testimony?
You know, it's always interesting when we have an officer testify against another officer because he was, in fact, the officer whose bullet killed Breonna Taylor. So when he's testifying, it creates a little bit of a issue with jurors because he's the actual person whose bullet killed her. However, he's testifying against another officer. So when we see that there's a lot of impact, when one officer will say to another, this was actions you should not have taken, even though his bullets hankerson's did not actually impact Breonna Taylor.
So the last time Hankison was tried, it ended in a hung jury and a mistrial. So how does the court avoid that outcome this time around?
Well, the prosecution is really going to try to hone its case. Let's remember that although there's been three trials, this is the third trial. The first was a state trial. This is the second federal trial. So the prosecution has had a chance to see what the defense has presented, how the jurors reacted to that. And so they're really going to hone their case in on what they feel like are their strong points in order to get that conviction. Obviously, the court is really going to work to not have another mistrial in a deadlocked jury, but that always comes down to the jury box. Can the prosecution really make that point that this was a violation of her constitutional rights, clearly enough that all jurors want choose and decide to convict?
Shana Lloyd, appreciate you. Thank you. Coming up, putting on a full court press to pick up Latino voters. We'll look at the very different ways the candidates are going after this crucial electorate. Next.
Did you kill Mariota?
Sorry.
Um, no, I did not kill Mariota.
How did she die? When the tests.
Came back I thought holy.
Are you kidding me?
People think she's innocent I think she's guilty.
I'm not buying.
This little Miss Innocent game.
Little miss innocent.
I know it wasn't me.
If it wasn't.
Me, it wasn't.
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That's why it's called the. What?
Love you. I love it. I'm all in. Second. That. Beautiful.
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I'm glad you're streaming with us. Two weeks from one of the most consequential elections in American history. And the candidates are putting on a full court press to pick up Latino voters. Former President Donald Trump holding a roundtable discussion with Latino leaders at his Miami golf club today and responding to criticism, he instructed Republicans not to move forward with a bipartisan deal on the border earlier this year.
And then they complain about a bill. It's a phony deal. It's a scam. There's no bill. I never had a bill. All you have to do is president. Wake him up and say, Joe, we need you to say close the border. That's what I did. I just said, we're closing the border.
Our contributor.
Maria Elena Salinas, joining us with more. So the Latino electorate has grown in most of the battleground states, right. They're also voting Republican in much larger numbers than we've seen in the past, especially in Florida. We know this isn't, you know, a monolithic group. But what do you make of what's happening right now? Well, as far as Florida is.
Concerned, you know, today.
Former President Trump told the people.
Gathered there that Vice President.
Kamala Harris is.
A leftist radical, and many of the other insults that we have come to hear in his events. But Trump is in friendly territory in Florida, so he probably feels most comfortable talking to this crowd. And Trump is now leading Vice President Harris with Hispanics in Florida, with somewhere around 5,456% of the vote. Now, what is surprising about this is that this would be the very first time in over 20 years that a majority of Latinos support Republican, a Republican candidate here in Florida. You know, and it's to be expected. It's a very different electorate from the rest of the Latinos besides the economy, inflation, crime. You know, their issue here is socialism. Um, Trump has successfully painted Vice President Harris as a socialist with this community that has exiles from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Many of them who fled left wing totalitarian regimes in their home countries. And, you know, sometimes it feels like they are exploiting their pain. You know, Florida is an outlier, though, in that sense, because it's the only state where Trump leads with Latino voters nationally and in some of the battleground states.
Vice President Harris still is leading with Latinos, although her lead is smaller than previous Democratic candidates.
So let's just go back and talk about Trump's campaign, you know, and how it's been using anti-immigration rhetoric from almost the moment he came down that golden escalator in 2015. And it continues now with lies about the migrant community, specifically in Springfield, Ohio. But he got huge cheers at that roundtable today for his harsh border policies. What does that tell you?
Well, that's not necessarily a big issue for Latinos, especially Latino leaders here, most of whom are a part of the Cuban American community. We still have a lot of immigrants in the state from Central America, some from Mexico, who are come here. They're farm workers, and they are very concerned with that kind of rhetoric, but not necessarily in the type of people that he was with at that, at that round table. But, you know, when it comes to immigration, we're seeing a dramatic change in Latino voters views. Traditionally, they have leaned Democratic, in part because of the promise of that immigration reform that would open the door to the legalization of undocumented immigrants who have been living here for decades, who have roots, who may have, you know, U.S. born children and also for dreamers. But that immigration reform did not materialize. So now what we see is a growing number of Latino voters who favor hardline positions on the border, not just here in Florida, but across the country.
They support building the wall and some even support mass deportations. And it's a very complex situation, because mass deportation would mean separating families and maybe even deporting family members of those who support that policy. There are around 22 million people in the U.S. that live in mixed status households, where there's at least one member who is undocumented. And then there are, of course, many reasons for that, for that change in views. It's partly because they don't want to be associated with what they perceive to be chaos at the border. Many are second, third or even fourth generation Latinos that don't have that identity with their heritage that previous generations like mine had. You know, there was a New York Times poll recently that showed that when Trump vilifies immigrants saying that they are criminals or that they are poisoning the blood of the country when he uses that kind of anti-immigrant rhetoric. Two thirds of Latino voters said that they don't feel that he's talking about them. Those are other immigrants. Not me. Not my family, not my friends.
And that's one of the most surprising things that I have seen about Latinos in this election cycle.
Oh, yeah.
That that is very interesting. Well, then we've got the Democratic side. Harris has highlighted how she'd create more opportunities for Latino men in particular. That's a group that polls show have been sort of drifting to the GOP. what do you make of the growing gender gap among non-white voters now?
Yeah. You know, it's interesting. The majority of Latinas still are supporting Vice President Harris in higher numbers than men, especially young Latino men. But because for Latinas, reproductive rights are a big issue, not the top issue, but it is influencing their vote. Not so much for Latino men. Trump's behavior and his insults towards immigrants do not seem to bother Latino men. Some even find his rhetoric entertaining. They identify with his bravado. And, you know, I have to say here that there's a macho component to it. And, of course, the economy. Since young men, particularly black and Latino young men, are falling behind their female counterparts in college attainment and entrepreneurship. That's why, as you mentioned, Vice President Harris has now specifically. She's specifically courting Latino men. And just like she did with black men, she just announced that opportunity agenda for Latino men. That includes lowering costs, Increasing home ownership and expanding job opportunities. But even though Latinos are everywhere and there's hundreds of thousands of them in some of these battleground states, you know, it all depends on last minute effort to get them to register to vote and to get them to go out and vote.
Maria Elena Salinas, I always appreciate your insight. Thank you.
Thank you. Kiara.
Straight ahead, LeBron James has done just about everything there is to do in the NBA, but tonight is the moment he's been waiting for for 20 years.
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Thank. God you're streaming with us. Some other top headlines that we're tracking for you here on ABC News Live. Exploiting young male models and then luring them in with promises of fame and fortune and then sexually abusing them. Those are the allegations, as the former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO is charged in a federal sex trafficking probe. The indictment accuses Mike Jeffries, his partner and a third man, of operating an international sex trafficking and prostitution business. The feds say that the trio paid dozens of men to travel the world to engage in sex acts. The men are expected to be arraigned in New York. No date given for that yet. Jeffries attorney says he'll respond to the allegations when appropriate. More than 2400 mental health workers, with Kaiser Permanente walking off the job in Southern California. The union representing the workers say they're striking over increased workloads and staffing shortages that have created a substandard system of care. The company says the walkout was unnecessary and that the union wants more money for the therapist to spend less time with patients.
And the new NBA season tips off tonight in the same place the last one ended. Boston Celtics will raise their record 18th championship banner before they host the New York Knicks. The opening night doubleheader wraps up with a potentially historic game on the West Coast. LA Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves, and at some point, superstar LeBron James could take to the court with his rookie son, Bronny. If and when they do play together, they'd be the first father son duo to play together in NBA history. The news never stops. I'm Kyra Phillips, so glad you're streaming with us. Lot more news up next. Don't go far.
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Right now on ABC News Live. Two weeks and counting. The latest polls, the campaign stunts and the policies impacting your vote in the final push to November 5th. Speaking of policy, a nonpartisan group says former President Trump's economic plan could lead to massive benefit cuts for Social Security, putting the entire program at risk. We break down the new analysis and a window for diplomacy. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel hoping to get ceasefire talks back on track. We're live with the latest. It's the race to the finish line. Good afternoon everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips. We are only two weeks away, and Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are doubling down on their media and battleground state blitz, hoping to punch their ticket to the white House. Trump just wrapped up a Latino Summit roundtable in Florida and is headed back to North Carolina for a campaign rally tonight. Harris is staying put in Washington, preparing for a multitude of television interviews. But former President Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and even President Joe Biden are all hitting the trail today on behalf of the VP and talk about star power.
Detroit based rapper Eminem introducing Obama later tonight and later this week, Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen is heading or headlining two concerts in battleground states for Harris. This all comes as a record breaking amount of Americans have already filled out their ballots in early voting. Washington Bureau Chief and political Director Rick Klein has more for us. Rick.
You're at nearly 17 million Americans have already voted this election cycle. 10 million plus in the last week alone. As expected, the voting pace is down a bit from early voting in 2020, when Covid upended voting patterns across the country. But to zoom in on a few big battlegrounds, this is what we see in Georgia. Of course, we won't know for another couple of weeks who people actually voted for, but we are seeing Republicans eating into the early voting advantage that Democrats had four years earlier and in Pennsylvania. More likely, Democrats are voting early, but not by the same lopsided numbers in 2020. We can't know yet if that's a sign of momentum, or if these are people who voted on Election Day and are now listening to a Republican Party that, at least sometimes, is encouraging early voting. And this is what the latest FiveThirtyEight battleground state polling averages look like across the board. We've seen a tightening of this race, better numbers for Trump in a couple of states, including a new poll out in Georgia this morning, Trump with a four point lead in that critical battleground.
But 8% a big number, say they are still undecided. Vice President Harris she is focusing right now on the suburbs. Take a look at some of the places she's been in the last day or two. Big suburban areas outside major cities. And she'll be back in Delaware County, which is right outside Philadelphia, for a town hall tomorrow night. Those are the kind of places Harris needs to run up the score. Check this out. Delaware County, right outside Philly. Joe Biden was four points better than Hillary Clinton in the same numbers from four years earlier. Those are places that she has to do very well. She has to net big numbers of votes. As for Donald Trump, he'll be back in North Carolina again today after coming back to Florida, briefly scheduled to visit Greensboro, a bluer part of that state. Trump needs his voters to stay with him in that critical battleground. He won North Carolina four years ago, but it was the actually the closest margin of victory he had anywhere in the country.
Kyra.
All right, Rick, thank you so much. Okay. For more, let's bring in our senior white House correspondent, Selina Wang and senior reporter Katherine Faulders. Selina, what do these early voting numbers indicate about the election cycle so far, do you think?
Well, Kyra, actually, the latest numbers now show that more than 18 million people have already cast their ballots. Now, back in 2020, many people did mail in voting because.
Of the pandemic.
But we're seeing that many people are continuing this habit. So far, it looks like Democrats still have.
The lead when it comes to mail in ballots. In those states that.
Actually track mail.
In ballots by party.
Registration.
Democrats have a wide.
Lead in battleground Pennsylvania. But in a place like Nevada, the Republicans are really starting.
To cut into their.
Margins. But look, all of the polling at this point here essentially shows.
The same thing, which is.
That this is an extremely.
Tight.
Race, especially in those key battleground states. And in this final stretch, the strategies from Harris and Trump could.
Not be more different.
You see Vice President Harris aggressively trying to reach out to independents.
And moderate.
Republicans. That's why she spent all day yesterday on the trail with former Republican.
Congresswoman Liz.
Cheney in.
Suburbs in the critical states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.
And Michigan. Trump, on the other hand, he is not trying to reach out to Democrats. He continues to call his political opponents the enemy from within. And yesterday.
In North Carolina, he continued to spread.
Falsehoods about the response to the hurricane.
This is just.
His M.O., that's for sure. And Katherine Trump is focused more on holding campaign rallies, it seems like, than doing more television interviews. Why the change in strategy? Because usually he loves being on TV.
Yeah, he does love being on TV. Maybe it's a question of what outlets he wants to sit down with and look. I know that he has a heavy campaign schedule. He is out there campaigning with multiple stops a day. What he has been doing, though, and you'll remember this from his time at the white House, is he's been doing this under the wing gaggles, if you will, on the tarmac. There obviously have been press assembled there waiting for him to depart to various different events, and he has been talking to the press. Of course, that's a situation that's more informal that you can easily walk away from when you don't want to take any more questions. So I think it's a combination of all of that.
Well, Selena. Former President Barack Obama and Bill Clinton now holding rallies on behalf of Harris. But Biden is only visiting a campaign office today in New Hampshire. Why isn't Joe Biden doing more for the VP?
Well, he is also in New Hampshire for an official event along with Senator Bernie Sanders. This is all about highlighting the achievements of his administration to lower the cost of prescription drugs. But you are right. New Hampshire, this is not a battleground state. He is in a very easily blue state. The Harris campaign could have chosen to send him to some of those more critical battlegrounds. But the reality.
Here is that you've.
Seen Harris, in more recent interviews, try to subtly distance herself from the Biden administration because one of her key vulnerabilities is.
Voter frustrations.
About the state of the economy under the Biden Harris administration.
Even though the numbers show that the economy.
Is strong and improving.
And that inflation.
Is slowing, a lot of voters.
They just.
Aren't feeling it. So that's part of the reason why you aren't seeing her out on the trail.
With President Biden.
On the other hand, she is setting out some.
Of her heavyweight surrogates, which includes former presidents.
Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, out in battleground states today. While she is not on the trail today, and she's also going to be relying.
On some.
Superstars, including Bruce Springsteen, who's going to be on the trail with her later this week and next week.
All right. And Catherine Trump is already laying the groundwork. The Democrats are cheating. Let's take a listen.
Because if we lose this election, we may not have a country anymore. We may not. We never. And I've heard this from a lot of very smart people that are very straight down the middle. They say we may never have an election again in this country. This is where we're going.
All right. That is so not true. So why does Trump just continue to do this?
It's not. And how you phrase this in terms of laying the groundwork, if you will, on the front end. This is what we saw him do in the last election in 2020. So he's essentially laying the groundwork to say that he won't accept the election results if he loses. Of course, he's been asked that question multiple times and so is his running mate, JD Vance. They've said if this election is free and fair, but that's what you're seeing Trump do. Now, we know that he's already laid the groundwork. And Republicans have, at least in various different states, to mount legal challenges should they believe that there should be in various different states. We've already seen them doing that even before the election. So I think it's something that you will continue to hear Trump say, even though it's just not true.
All right, Katherine, Selena, a couple more weeks. Thank you. So Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Tel Aviv right now. He's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And it's part of the Biden administration's push for a ceasefire in Gaza. They're not giving up. Blinken is addressing several matters during the visit, including the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in a way that provides lasting security for both Israelis and Palestinians. U.S. officials are hoping that the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will help push both sides toward some type of resolution, but until that happens, Israel continues, it will continue to target terrorist strongholds in both Gaza and Lebanon despite the growing civilian death toll. Just today, Lebanon's Ministry of Health says that 13 people were killed, including one child, after an IDF strike near the country's largest public hospital. Our foreign correspondent, Tom Burridge is in Tel Aviv for us. So, Tom, what do we know about Blinken's meeting with Netanyahu? And let's talk more about just the main objectives of this visit.
Of course, a ceasefire is front and center.
It is Kyra. Yeah. I mean, we know that the meeting between Netanyahu and Blinken lasted 2.5 hours. I mean, in terms of the objectives of this trip, I think that's quite a hard question to answer, really, because when you and I were speaking a few months ago, over the course of the last few months, on multiple occasions when Blinken was here pushing for that ceasefire in Gaza, it felt like Hamas and the Israeli government were really round the table, figuratively speaking. And there was the nitty gritty of a potential deal was on the table. We're not at that point now. I mean, now the IDF is pushing on with its offensive in northern Gaza. There's a very dire humanitarian picture on the ground right there. And, you know, there isn't a the prospect of any breakthrough in terms of a ceasefire, either in Gaza or in Lebanon, even though US officials with Secretary of State Blinken are saying that is the aim of the trip. I mean, I think look, in the run up to the US election, the administration is showing us voters that they are still doing what they can to try and dial down the temperature in this region and alleviate the suffering of people in Gaza, for example, pressuring the Israeli government on aid into the strip, but you know the prospects of any major breakthrough on this trip.
Are, you know, not far off zero, really. And I think the major issue, which maybe the two men today might have been talking about a fair amount, is Israel's planned retaliation against Iran. That is obviously a fear of the US administration that that could happen soon and and lead to a wider escalation.
So Lebanon's Ministry of Health is saying that more than 2500 civilians have now been killed since last year. What's the latest on Israel's operations there?
Yeah, and more than 60 killed in the last 24 hours, Sarah. More than 230 injured, according to Lebanese officials. So, you know, the imagery coming out of Lebanon today is pretty shocking. I mean, we're seeing the IDF take down entire buildings. The IDF saying one building, for example, was being used as a Hezbollah facility. ABC news spoke to a resident there who had got out, because the IDF did tell people to evacuate out of that building before they hit it. And the resident said he saw no no evidence or no activity, which he described as suspicious over the time of the three years that he lived in that building. The IDF has been hitting financial, the financial organization of Hezbollah buildings. I mean, they are civilian buildings, but the IDF says that they are effectively, this quasi bank is being used to fund Hezbollah's activities. We've seen strikes near Beirut International Airport. We see massive strikes down in the south in the city of tire. So clearly, Israel's operations in Lebanon appear to be escalating to well.
And humanitarian organizations are still warning of the dire lack of aid getting into Gaza. Is anything getting in at all at this point?
It is. I mean, the the Israeli authorities have put out a statement today saying, you know, dozens of trucks have got in over the course of the last week into northern Gaza. But as we said on multiple occasions, the problem isn't simply getting the aid in and not enough aid according to the UN, is getting in at all. But even the aid that is getting in. I mean, it's not able to reach the areas where there's the highest need, and the areas right now where there's the highest need is Jabalia. This refugee camp, densely populated up in the north, where the IDF is really conducting a serious military operation, trying to root out what Hamas fighters are still there in this area. We're seeing the IDF move hundreds, if not thousands of people, mainly civilians. We believe from from the imagery and from the testimony of local people on the ground out of that area. We don't know where they're going to go. So it's a very, very difficult picture. And we're seeing evidence of very high numbers of casualties in that operation.
Yeah.
It's heartbreaking.
And that really puts it in perspective when you see those overhead shots. Tom. Tom appreciate you coming up. Both candidates promising to save Social Security. But one of their plans could force a huge cut in benefits. We're crunching the numbers for you next.
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So have you ever heard of the Congressional Budget Office? Don't fall asleep on me. This really is important for you to know as you think about your golden years. They might just be cut short financially. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget is actually predicting that Trump's vision for Social Security would cause the program to go bankrupt three years early. That means all of you 58 year olds shouldn't bank on getting that cash via Social Security. Come 65, they say that Harris plans, on the other hand, would not have large effects on Social Security trust fund solvency. Let's bring in our Elizabeth Schulze. She's going to tell us how we can all still plan on enjoying that margarita on the beach as soon as we turn 70, or whatever it is you like to drink. All right. Elizabeth, what exactly is Trump proposing?
First of all, no one should ever fall asleep when they hear Congressional Budget Office. We're talking about your hard earned money. We're going to make this so interesting. And here's why people should care. We're talking about 67 million Americans who rely on Social Security. And what Trump is proposing is a pretty significant cut to those benefits. If the series of plans that he's put forward do end up going into place. So when you look at Trump's economic proposals, of course, we hear a lot about those sweeping tariffs that he's talking about. He talks about lowering the corporate tax rate beyond what he already did, which was really his signature legislative accomplishment in his first term. He also wants to end taxes on tips, something that Vice President Harris, he says copied in her platform. And then look there, that last bullet eliminate the tax on Social Security wages. What's critical about that is that right now, taxes are collected when you earn money from Social Security, and that ends up being a critical revenue stream to fund that program in the future.
So basically by Trump saying he wants to end those taxes, which would give immediate relief to maybe some seniors now, it would risk basically running out of money for Social Security going forward so that trust fund could run out of money in six years. This is according to the nonpartisan it's a nonpartisan analysis from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. If without Trump's plans, we're looking at nine years, that that fund would run out of money, and then that 33% benefit cut is pretty significant. What that means here is that if there is no other way to fund this, this critical program, you would see your benefits go down by 33%. And for a lot of seniors who are relying on that income, that is a pretty big deal when you think about the day to day finances.
Oh yeah. Absolutely. And so what do what should Americans do with all this information now it starts saving more, investing more.
By gold.
Bars. I mean, this is where you need to help us out here. Tell us what you know folks need to do.
Okay, so I don't know that we're at the point of buying gold bars yet, that we have seen a lot of people do that at Costco with, like, the gold rush that's happened there. What? The key line here is that this is a problem, regardless of who the next president is and what this committee of a responsible federal budget has been saying frankly, for years, Kara, is this is something that lawmakers should start to think about now, and they want the public awareness about the fact that there need to be these long term solutions, because that fund will run out of money in nine years without any changes. And just as far as the dollar amount that that would cost a typical two income household $16,500 in annual benefits within the next couple of years. So what do you want to do right now? I guess the first thing is just an awareness about this. The second thing to think about is always starting small when you're starting to save. So even if you're way far off from that age that you're thinking about collecting Social Security benefits.
Probably not a bad idea to have this in the back of your mind of what would I need to do? What kind of income would I need to have? I talked to a lot of younger households who say they actually aren't relying on Social Security. They don't expect that Congress will be able to come together to find some sort of solution. I think we've seen here that usually there is some sort of last minute deal, but this is one that will require significant legislation to address this shortfall. So starting small, thinking about that budget over time, maybe not quite time to to buy the gold bars yet. But also just when you think about your savings overall, you always want to think about company matches. That's something that a lot of people leave on the table. When you're thinking about your 401 K or your own savings plans, and you also want to think about trying to invest in a way that can give you those returns over the long term. A lot of people have money sitting in savings.
They're not earning returns on those on those savings. They're not in a high yield savings account. They're not even maybe invested in a portfolio with stocks and bonds. That is one way to leave money on the table, and that is something you don't want to do when you're thinking about your long term savings and finances.
That is great. Great advice and bottom line. People care about Social Security checks, especially older Americans, right? They usually are the ones who always turn out to vote. So I'm curious, will this increase turnout for voting in a couple of weeks?
It's so it's so notable because we've actually seen just in the past 24 hours since this analysis came out, Vice President Harris has tried to make this a line of attack that former President Trump would put the solvency of this program under threat. But the reality is we've been talking about it's under threat anyways. And her program, while she vows to protect Social Security, doesn't really do much to address that longer term issue, both of the candidates have said they want to protect Social Security. They know that this is a very important for seniors. Nine out of ten people over the age of 65 rely on those benefits. They do not want to risk alienating those critical voters, but have yet to put forward any plans. When you just think about their overall economic agendas, that would address how to raise revenue. No one likes to talk about raising taxes. Definitely don't like to talk about raising taxes or other ways to raise revenue in the final two weeks of a presidential campaign.
That is a point well made. Elizabeth Schultz, thank you so much. You made Social Security exciting. Thanks, Elizabeth. All right. Well, we've got this chilling new video now that actually shows all the chaos after that deadly dock collapse in Georgia. Seven people were killed when the gangway came crashing down over the weekend. Survivors are also sharing a lot of the harrowing details that they experienced. Our faith Abubey was there and does have the latest, but we do want to warn you that you may find this video pretty disturbing.
The shock and anguish at the scene of a deadly dock gangway collapse in Georgia, laid bare in a new video. Oh my God, where's my heart? It was shot moments after the structure plunged down, sending at least 20 people into the water Saturday afternoon. please is hard. People desperately hanging onto the railings, others in the water struggling to stay afloat. I've never been more so frightened in my life. Diane Bloodworth swept under. She says it took about a minute before she could resurface for air. This gentleman threw a life vest on me and said, I got you. I'm not going to let you go. He's holding my head up so that I wouldn't go under. Diane is 80 year old aunt nearby. Tightly hanging onto a rope, fighting for her life. I ran towards the edge of the dock. I got on my stomach and I reached my hands out and Miss Bertha grabbed me. Catherine Sneed helping get her to safety. Bertha is still in the ICU, reuniting with her hero.
Her son telling us she's traumatized.
Jumping up, screaming and yelling. Reaching and grabbing. She has muscle. Muscle damage in both her legs and her back. Pack. She also has some damaged lungs.
The walkway collapse killed seven other senior citizens, including Zelda Johnson's cousin and her husband and Kyra. As you saw there, I've been speaking with some of the survivors, and they tell me that they are still struggling with the trauma of that deadly collapse. They remembered that chaos at the scene, the deaths around them, one of them even telling me that even though she has family members on that island, she won't go back until she feels that there's a safer pier. In the meantime, though, some of the families of the victims and the survivors, they've retained lawyers, including well-known attorney Ben Crump. They claim that this was a preventable disaster caused by negligence, and now they're demanding justice and answers.
Kyra, we'll follow it. Thanks so much, Faith. Coming up, mystery in Seattle. What happened in this house that left five people dead? We've got the details. Next.
Yo, partner. We're not partners. I'm the.
Detective. And you are the consultant.
I see you brought your baby to a crime scene.
She is just spectating.
You're a single mom.
With three kids pretending to.
Be a cop. I am not pretending. I spot things that detectives miss. I still think my theory is flimsy.
That big brain of hers is going to help us close a lot of cases out here.
Super cop and high potential. All new Tuesdays.
On ABC and stream on.
Hulu.
14 days to go and more Americans turn to David Muir and World News Tonight than any other newscast. The race a dead heat with so much at stake. Turn to David Muir on election night. And ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir. The number one newscast in America. Whenever news breaks, we are.
Here in Israel a nation at war. In Rolling Fork.
This tornado tore through this town.
Lewiston, Maine, the scene of a horrific mass shooting.
From the scene of that deadly missile.
Strike. Wherever the story is, we're going to.
Take you there.
ABC News Live.
You're streaming ABC News Live.
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America's number one most watched daytime talk.
Show is ABC's.
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That's what we're about.
Voices that matter. It all goes down right here.
That's why it's called the what?
The view. I love it, I'm all in. Second that beautiful.
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Some other top headlines we're tracking for you this hour. A teenager is in custody after five people were found shot to death in a home outside of Seattle. Sheriff's deputies say the victims were two adults and three young teens. It's not known yet how they're all related. Another teen was also injured and taken to a hospital. It's believed they all lived in the house where the bodies were found. It's a move that could make a difference in a crucial swing state. The Biden administration says it will provide up to $325 million for a new semiconductor parts factory in Michigan. Funding for the Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation would create 180 new manufacturing jobs in a county that Donald Trump won in 2016, but swung to Joe Biden four years ago, and 99 bottles of beer on the road. 99 bottles of A beer. Yeah, that's a tractor trailer crash early this morning on I-70, and it did send cans and cans of beer spilling out onto the highway in western Maryland. One man was actually taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Three lanes of traffic were shut down while officials cleaned up the sudsy spill. The news never stops. You can find us anywhere. You stream live news. And if you're on the go, we are on the ABC news app and ABC news.com. I'm Kyra Phillips. Glad you're streaming with us. But we do have a lot more news up next so don't go far.
They were 21 and 18 when they committed their crime, and they were raised in a house of hate. When can we as a society say we made a mistake?
Do you think the Menendez.
Brothers will walk.
Free someday?
I don't think that they deserve to be in prison until they die.
Lyle and Erik Menendez are stone cold murderers.
Was this a miscarriage of justice?
Absolutely.
This came down to one question do you believe the Menendez brothers or not?
The Menendez brothers, monsters or victims? Now streaming on Hulu. What does it take to be the most watched newscast in America?
An operation to capture ISIS fighters.
Since their combat operation center. We're approaching the gate now. Militants came in from 4 or 5 different directions. Operational nuclear reactor. So you have a couple loaded and ready to go. The house is destroyed, but the flag, there's not a tear in it.
Not a tear in it.
How important is this label right here? Made to USA. Look at your smile. You're proud of this. I love it.
Great work. Hi. Where are you? Where are you? I appreciate you. Thank you.
David. Good to meet you.
Ismail. David.
David. Yes, yes.
I'm David Muir. I know who you are. You do every night.
ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir is America's most watched newscast. Whenever news breaks, we are.
Here in Israel. A nation at war. In Rolling Fork.
This tornado tore through this town.
Lewiston, Maine, the scene of a horrific mass shooting.
From the scene of that deadly missile strike.
Wherever the story is, we're going to.
Take you there. ABC News Live. You're streaming ABC News Live.
ABC news live streaming. Free everywhere.
Reporting from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In the path of Tropical Storm.
Ernesto.
I'm Micah, and wherever the story is, we'll take you there. You're now streaming on ABC News Live. Right now on ABC News Live. Two weeks and counting. The latest polls, the campaign stunts, the policies impacting your vote in the final push now to November 5th.
Plus the window for diplomacy. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel hoping to get ceasefire talks back on track. We're live in Tel Aviv.
And he ran one of the biggest clothing brands for years. Now he is accused of running an international sex trafficking ring. The former head of Abercrombie and Fitch indicted on 16 federal counts.
Well, it's the race to the finish line. It's crazy. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, and.
I'm Terry Moran. Just two weeks left now, and Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, they are doubling down on their media and battleground state blitz, hoping to punch their ticket to the white House. Trump just wrapped up a Latino summit, is what they're calling it, at a roundtable there in Florida. And he is headed back to North Carolina for a campaign rally tonight.
Harris is staying put in Washington, D.C., preparing for a multitude of television interviews. But former President Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and even President Joe Biden are hitting the trail today on behalf of the vice president and talk about star power. Will the real Slim Shady please rally up Detroit? Detroit based rapper Eminem interviewing Obama later tonight. Also this week, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen headlining two concerts in battleground Georgia and Pennsylvania for Harris.
All this comes as a record breaking amount of Americans have already filled out their ballots in the early voting. So joining us now, senior white House correspondent Selina Wang.
All right. Let's talk about early voting numbers. What are they saying about the election so far? Selina.
Yeah. Well, it's really interesting because already more than 18 million people have cast their ballots. Now, back in 2020, many people had no choice but to use mail in ballot voting methods because of the pandemic. But we're seeing that those habits are continuing into this year, with some states seeing record amounts of early voting on their first day. So in the states that track mail in ballots by party registration, the numbers are showing that Democrats are still in the lead, but Republicans are cutting into those margins. So if you look at a place like Pennsylvania, an absolutely critical battleground for Democrats, they have a pretty wide lead. But in other states like Nevada, when it comes to those mail in ballots, that margin is a lot smaller in terms of the Democratic lead. But look, in this final stretch, the polling is essentially continuing to show that this is an extremely tight race. And you've got two very different strategies from Harris and Trump in this final stretch. Harris she's still trying to reach out to those moderate Republicans, those independents.
She's got an aggressive strategy to try and reach them, which is why yesterday she was out on the trail in battlegrounds all day with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney. Donald Trump, on the other hand, he is doubling down on his MAGA base, both in terms of his messaging and in terms of the kinds of outlets that he's talking to. Trump yesterday in North Carolina also continued to push false information about the hurricane response in North Carolina. And he also is continuing to call his political opponents the enemies from within. So not exactly a strategy there to reach out to Democrats.
Well, and and Kamala Harris not on the campaign trail today. Just me. Or does it seem like she's taken more days off than Trump? I'm not saying it's good or bad, but it just boy, I can't remember a campaign I covered where people were taking days off and not days off. She's working hard. She's going to do this, this roundtable. But still, she's not out there making a big picture, making a big speech. Anyway, you've just spoken to Mark Cuban, uh, the the billionaire investor and businessman, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and huge Harris supporter. What did he say about the state of the race?
Yeah, we had a really interesting and wide ranging conversation. And despite all of the jitters within the Democratic Party, he still thinks that Harris is going to win, that she's got the momentum behind her. But he did have some criticism of Harris saying that she's not a great sales person compared to Donald Trump. He said that that is just not her strength, that she is very strong on policy, on ethics, on understanding people, but that selling something is not her strength. Comparing that to Donald Trump, who he says is all about selling, even if he pushes falsehoods to try and sell his point. I also talked to him about Elon Musk. He said that he tried to set up a private conversation between Vice President Harris and Elon Musk because he said, the things that Elon Musk is saying about Harris is simply not true, and that they should sit down and talk to each other. He said it didn't end up working out because the Harris campaign declined to have that conversation, out of concerns that Elon Musk would not keep that discussion private.
But he says that even if Harris is elected, he still wants her to have a conversation with Elon Musk, saying that he is one of the greatest entrepreneurs. So it would be common sense for them to talk to each other. But look, in this final stretch, she says that Harris should be prioritizing having conversations and doing rallies where she can get out her message and that she doesn't need to sit down with controversial news networks and figures.
All right. Selina Wang from the white House for us. Selina. Thanks. And a federal judge in New York City has just ordered that former New York City mayor and former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani must turn over much of what he owns to the two Georgia poll workers that he defamed in 2020. Giuliani has seven days now to transfer all his personal property, including cash, accounts, jewelry, his Mercedes Benz and his Manhattan penthouse, to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.
His bands too. I mean, this is serious. Giuliani was one of the lawyers, top lawyers, really, who assisted in Donald Trump's attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. And he is now facing some of the consequences of those actions. He was found liable last year for defaming Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss after failing to respond to parts of their lawsuit, and so his assets will now go into receivership, owned by Freeman and Moss to satisfy that $150 million defamation judgment.
It's going to be interesting how this all works out. I mean, after the way the 2020 election played out and the seeds of doubt sowed by former President Donald Trump over this year's vote, the spotlight is already on local election officials across the country.
That's for sure. I spoke with a couple of county commissioners in Washoe County. That's Reno and beyond. One of them is a Republican. That's him, Mike Clark, and the other is a Democrat, Alexis Smith, about their very different approaches to the job. Mike Clark has voted not to certify some elections, primary elections there this year. I also asked them what drew them to serve, you know, these two public servants on the opposite end of the spectrum. And I got two very different responses.
I feel like I've.
Been driven.
To.
Service my.
Whole life. I have always wanted to.
Make my community.
Better, and.
I have.
Been.
Seeking.
Out a.
Way to do.
That.
I had no interest whatsoever. And right now I'd.
Rather be walking my dog on a.
Beach or riding my horse than what I'm doing. This commissioner's pestering me and I got fed up with that, and I told him I was to take his job away. And I ran for his office and he's gone and I'm here.
He was a character.
I was going to say you picked the the two best people to represent the opposite thought.
And they're both really serving the community. Alexis Smith, she got into into public service because her dad, who grew up very poor, you made some, made some of his life, and he became a school board member and took her to school board meetings. And so giving back to the community is in her DNA. There she is on her bike. Where's Mike Clark? You know, he thought the county wasn't being run. Well, now, the point of this piece is he did not certify the count, the tally in an election earlier this year. And it turns out that all 50 states, county officials must certify the count. Now, that might sound confusing. Well, what are they there for? It's a ceremonial thing to make it public. And the reason is you don't want local officials, partisan officials kind of meddling with the count. Instead, if you've got problems, there's audits, recounts, administrative proceedings, the courts, all the rest of it. But it's that's a live county there.
And you've talked to a number of people. You have a full report for us.
Yep.
I do on Prime tonight. You can catch my full story tonight on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis.
Well, so have you ever heard of the Committee for responsible, responsible federal budget? Of course I have. Of course he has. All right. Don't fall asleep on me. This is serious stuff. Really? It's important for you to know, as you think about your golden years and how they might just be cut short. That nonpartisan organization predicts that Trump's vision for Social Security would cause the program to go bankrupt three years early. That means if you're 58 years old, you shouldn't bank on getting that cash via Social Security at age 65.
Yeah, and the same group says that Harris plans, on the other hand, would not have large effects on Social Security trust fund solvency. Let's bring in our Elizabeth Schulze to break this down. So, Elizabeth, what exactly is Trump is proposing? And and how does it differ from Harris's?
And, Terry, I am not surprised that you've heard of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. I love that you are following their work and their research. Look, when you look at what Trump is proposing, when you look at his overall economic agenda agenda, we've talked a lot about those sweeping tariffs. That's the main way that the former president wants to raise revenue for the federal government. In other words, that would be the income that the former president thinks the government can bring in. He has a whole host of other policies like lowering the corporate tax rate, ending taxes on tips, and then eliminating taxes on Social Security wages that those would ultimately cost the federal government. And what this analysis shows, this is from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, is that especially that last bullet point, they're eliminating the tax on Social Security income, would get rid of a key revenue source to fund Social Security going forward. And so what this analysis says is that it would result in the insolvency of the Social Security trust fund.
In other words, that trust fund that funds those benefits for 67 million people who rely on Social Security, would run out of money in six years. That is three years before it is currently supposed to run out. And that would mean a 33% benefit cut in the year 2035. So that is a significant cut to to benefits of so many seniors who would be relying on those. And that's mainly because of the fact that there wouldn't be enough money coming in to generate the cost of those programs. We have an aging population. We have not found ways to continue funding those programs over the next couple of years, a huge issue going forward for a lot of those seniors and frankly, for the next generation of Americans. I will say that we did reach out to the Trump campaign on this analysis. They said these so-called experts have been wrong and they will be wrong again, guys.
So what should Americans do with all this information? Now start saving more, investing more. I joked earlier in saying buy gold bars.
You know, get them.
If you can get them. I mean, there are no gold bars on the shelves right now if you're trying to find them. Actually reselling gold bars is another issue. Not always going to make money that way, but always a good idea to start saving. I mean, that's a that's a 101. When you think about investing, you want to start saving even a little bit can go a long way. If you start setting aside five, ten, $20 a month, that can add up, especially if you're investing in in a place like, you know, a long term investment fund, a diversified portfolio. We talk about mixing stocks and bonds. We talk about a ways to grow those investments over time. Even a high yield savings account, you don't have to be actively trading. But there are ways to grow that money. And that's a way that you can grow your own savings, kind of regardless of what happens with this Social Security trust fund and the government's finances. But it is really important to remember here that this program that is relied on by so many people is not on a good track.
This is a collision course within the next decade where unless Congress passes legislation to address the funding shortfall, that fund, regardless of who becomes president, is set to run out of money in nine years. And we did some math. We looked at what this would mean for the typical household two earners who would rely on Social Security. That's about a $16,500 annual benefit cut by the year 2033. And this, you know, that is a lot of money for folks who rely on it. It's why it is a good idea to always think about saving, but also why it's a good idea for perhaps politicians to put forward some ideas on this. Not at the last minute like they always tend to do. Mm.
Great point. That was very well explained. A penny saved is a penny earned. Is the lesson there right?
Thanks, Elizabeth. Thanks.
Well, right now, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Tel Aviv, and he's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials. It's part of the Biden administration's push for a ceasefire in Gaza. And U.S. officials are hoping that the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will help push both sides toward some type of resolution.
But until that happens and recent history would say, don't hold your breath. Israel says it will continue to target terrorist strongholds in both Gaza and Lebanon, despite the mounting death toll among civilians. Just today, Lebanon's Ministry of Health says 13 people were killed, including one child, after an Israeli Defense Forces strike near the country's largest, largest public hospital. Our foreign correspondent, Tom Burridge is in Tel Aviv and joins us now. So, Tom, Secretary of State Blinken, he's meeting with the top Israeli defense officials. Is he going to have any greater luck in trying to tamp down these conflicts than his boss has had?
I think, as you alluded to in your intro there, Terry, it's unlikely. Right? I mean, the omens on the ground both in Lebanon and in Gaza are not good. I mean, what's interesting is that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also met with top defense officials, including Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Now, what people should realize about Yoav Gallant is over the last few months, he's been more in tune with the thinking of the Biden administration vis a vis ending the war in Gaza. That type of thing, than Prime Minister Netanyahu, for example. And there's an interesting line coming out of the statement from Yoav Gallant team tonight after that meeting with Blinken. And it basically says that the United States stance with Israel following our attack on Iran. So that's interesting. He's basically saying it's a question of when we attack Iran, not if. That would be a retaliatory attack, of course, for that massive barrage of Iranian missiles at the beginning of the month. And then he goes on to say, will strengthen regional deterrence and weaken the axis of evil.
By that, he means Iran and Iran's proxies. I mean, effectively he's saying, look, we are I mean, this seems to sort of indicate that that the Israeli government is still lobbying the US administration. Now, you know, about, you know, what happens in the immediate aftermath and the long term aftermath of the initial strike, which Israel is planning on Iran. There are reports tonight unconfirmed by us that, you know, Israeli officials believe that Iran will immediately strike back when Israel hits Iran. And if that does happen, it's plausible. Then there'll be questions about to what extent the US would get involved with a potential direct conflict between Israel and Iran.
So, Tom, what's the story with these protests outside of Blinken's hotel?
Well, these are supporters of the hostages are still being held. We know in Gaza. We know that Secretary of State Antony Blinken is very popular with the the Hostages Family Forum. We also know that Antony Blinken tonight has been meeting with some of the families of the American, the seven American hostages still being held in Gaza. So, look, I mean, these these people, I've spoken to them multiple occasions over the last few months. I mean, they pin a lot of their hopes on trying to get the process going again towards a ceasefire and a deal to get some of the hostages out of Gaza. They really pinned their hopes on the US administration.
All right. Tom Soufi Burridge, as always there. Thank you very much for taking us through that situation.
So millions of people across the country are sweating under record October heat. More than a dozen record highs were tied or broken yesterday, with more states seeing temps in the 80s today.
For the latest, let's go to Kttc's meteorologist Rachel Briers. Rachel, how long is this going to last? How's it feel in Houston?
Oh, it is.
Hot in Houston. I have to keep reminding myself.
That we are in the.
Month of October, because these.
Temperatures have just been so hot.
Over the last few.
Weeks. And it's not.
Just here, but across a good portion of the nation. I want to show you our temperature departure from where we normally are this time of year. And in New York.
You are coming.
In about 20.
Degrees above where.
You should be. We are coming in at.
About six degrees above normal here in Houston, Wichita.
21.
Degrees right now across the entire nation. You can definitely tell who has the cooler temperatures. We have those up in our northern states right now. Luckily, a cool front is rolling on through, but south of that front we're looking at 80s. And then as we head into the day tomorrow, luckily that front will drop down to the south.
Cooling down.
Areas over towards Wichita, Saint Louis. But ahead of that front, Dallas still at 90 degrees tomorrow. Washington coming in close to 81 degrees. and that heat. It is here to stay. As we head into next week, we're looking at another week of potentially above normal temperatures for much of the nation below normal temperatures, though, as we head over towards the West coast. Now, something else we've been watching our precipitation outlook looks like we could actually have some wetter weather coming up heading into next week, which is also very important because unfortunately, our drought situations continue to get worse across the country right now, especially into portions of Texas as well as up into the Central Plains. Back to you.
All right, Rachel, thank you. Coming up, he was CEO of a buzzy clothing brand for decades. Now he's accused of also running a secret international sex trafficking ring. We've got the details on.
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Glad you're streaming with us. Exploiting young male models and then luring them in with promises of fame and fortune and then sexually abusing them. Those are the allegations, as the former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO is charged in a federal sex trafficking probe. The indictment accuses Mike Jeffries, his partner and a third man, of operating this international sex trafficking and prostitution business.
This is a federal case the feds are after. Federal prosecutors say that the trio paid dozens of men to travel the world to engage in sex acts. The men are expected to be arraigned in New York City. No date given yet for that. Jeffries attorney says he will respond to the allegations when appropriate. So let's go now to ABC news legal contributor Shawna Lloyd for more. Shawna, these are shocking, disgusting, disturbing allegations. And the prosecutors revealed a lot of details about Jeffries, about what he's accused of. When you looked at the indictment, what was your reaction?
When I looked at the indictment, what I saw is a lot of information, just as you did. And so what that means is they've really done a lot of homework and research, and they've spoken to a lot of witnesses, and they must have a large amount of evidence by which they base this indictment on before the grand jury. So that does not bode well for the defense. The defense will be playing catch up with the feds.
Mhm. So Jeffries is also facing these civil lawsuits where he's accused of luring young men under the guise of making them an Abercrombie model and then forcing them to take drugs and perform sex acts. How does that play into all of this?
Well, all of this is really going to be the charges against them and what they can prove, because each individual person has to be found guilty of all of the charges. And so we see them very much parsing the responsibility of each part of what they are alleging is an organization to perpetrate this sex trafficking and prostitution. So they've parsed it down to what roles and responsibility. Each of them play within this, whether it's Jeffries or Smith or Jacobson. So that's what we see in that indictment.
And Shawna, Mike Jeffries has made his first court appearance. So what are the next steps for him? And given, as you say, the the amount of information in this indictment and what that reflects about the work of prosecutors? He's up against the federal government. They it's it's hard to get get out of that trouble.
Absolutely. Terry, whenever we see the federal government step in, they always do a lot of information gathering and witness statements. And they really put a case together very heavily before they bring forth these charges. But that's also because of the level of charges that we're talking about. We're also talking about interstate. So there's a lot of information that needs to be had before they can take it to the grand jury. So when we see this, what we know is that they have done it. I'm concerned about these allegations. There's a number of gentlemen that are witnesses that have come forward these John doe's to speak about what has happened to them and to submit any evidence that they have in these cases. So these are very significant charges that we see as far as the process. What's going to happen is because they are not in the state that issued the warrants, they will be seen by a local judge who will make sure that the warrant is valid. Once that is found, they will be extradited to New York, and that's where they'll have their arraignment.
During their arraignment, they'll be read the charges. They'll also be able to enter a plea at that time. From there, we'll have pretrial discovery as we move towards trial.
Sean Lloyd, appreciate you.
Well, up next, an Iranian official has been charged with trying to kidnap and kill someone in New York City. This is a plot that goes back years, and we'll have the details after the break.
Tramps like us, baby. We were born to run.
Since I was 16, playing live has been a deep and lasting part of who I am.
I grew up with Bruce, and he was the most introverted guy you'd ever met in your life, and now he's like the world's greatest entertainer. It blows my mind.
Time moves quickly when you are on the road, but it's too late to stop now.
Three. Two. One. It's a.
24 over seven live.
Together. It's not about the fear or the risk. It's about the love of flying. Three. Two. One.
When you're 61 years old, you have very few opportunities to change your life. This time I have to be ready for everything. This is about everybody like me. The only thing you see, your future, which is not what I felt like for a really long time. Cause your everything. I don't feel invisible now.
Sorry. Trick or treat.
When I flick this switch, there'll be a horrible noise and a terrible odor.
Will it hurt?
Pain like you've never known. Oh.
This is risky. I am much satisfied.
What? Are you scared?
This is happiness. We love Halloween.
Hahahahaha! Got me.
He's a bit silly.
Turning the machine off. Do you feel good?
Reporting from Butler, Pennsylvania. One day after that assassination attempt on former President Trump, I'm Alex Presha. Wherever the story is, we'll take you there. You're streaming ABC News live.
Glad you're streaming with us. Some other top stories that we're tracking for you this hour. An official with Iran's Revolutionary Guard is now being charged in an alleged plot to kill an Iranian American activist in the U.S.. Federal prosecutors say the failed plot unfolded two years ago in Brooklyn and targeted a woman who's been a harsh critic of Iran's treatment of women. Three other men with purported connections to the Iranian government are also being charged in the case, but they are all based on or based in Iran and remain at large.
And go to Australia. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. A hiker in Australia spent seven hours upside down after falling between two boulders. It all happened after she dropped her cell phone and reached down to grab it took rescuers three hours even to get to her, and amazingly, she walked away with just some minor scratches and bruises.
Oh my gosh.
Well, if you are a hugger, this story might not be for you. An airport in New Zealand is posting these signs, putting a three minute time limit on goodbye hugs in its drop off area. Airport officials say that they had to make the controversial move to keep traffic moving smoothly. They say those who want fonder farewells should head to the airport parking lot instead.
Bah humbug on you. Come on. A little smooch there when you come on the news.
And the hugs never stop around here. I'm Kyra Phillips. And I'm Terry.
Moran. Thank you for streaming with us. There's more news coming up next.
Yo, partner. We're not partners.
I'm the detective. And you are the consultant. I see you brought your baby.
To a crime scene.
She is just spectating.
Here's a single mom.
With three kids pretending to be.
A cop. I am not pretending. I spot things that detectives miss. I still think my theory is flimsy.
That big brain of hers is going to help us close out a.
Lot of cases. I'm just out here super.
Copping high potential. All new Tuesdays on ABC and stream on Hulu. Hollywood Studios wants to make a movie of our podcast. It's a fabulous cast.
Action. I'm nervous playing you.
The fearlessness. The complexity.
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On Hulu and for bundle subscribers on Disney+. Through natural beauty.
Untouched.
One of the last of its kind. But this comes at a cost. Five countries, five incredible real stories of adventure, danger we have to go and defeat.
These are the last.
Lands.
The national parks around the world that have to be saved.
Hey, good morning America. Every day of your life.
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Right now on ABC News Live. Two weeks and counting. The latest polls, campaign stunts and policies impacting your vote in the final push to November 5th. Call it the litigation election. Armies of lawyers on both sides already in court well before Election Day. What it means for your vote this hour and a window for diplomacy. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Israel hoping to get ceasefire talks back on track. We're live in Tel Aviv with the latest. So it's the race to the finish line. Good afternoon everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, we are only two weeks away. Can you believe it? And Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are doubling down on their media and battleground state blitz, hoping to punch their ticket to the white House. Trump just wrapped up a Latino Summit roundtable in Florida and is headed back to North Carolina for a campaign rally tonight. Harris is staying put in Washington, D.C., preparing for a multitude of television interviews. But former President Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, even President Joe Biden are hitting the trail today on behalf of the VP and talk about star power.
Will the real Slim Shady please rally up? Detroit based rapper Eminem introing Obama later tonight. Also this week, Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Bruce Springsteen headlining two concerts in battleground Georgia and Pennsylvania for Harris. All this coming as a record breaking amount of Americans have already filled out their ballots in early voting. Joining me now, senior white House correspondent Selina Wang and senior reporter Katherine Faulders. Selina, what is Harris's strategy in the final stretch?
Yeah, Kyra, we've only got two weeks to go, and Harris is trying to do a few things. She's trying to turn out all of the voters, get them off the couch if they've already decided they want to vote for her. Then secondly, she's also been reaching out to these moderate and independent voters with the series of events that she did yesterday with former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney. She was in battlegrounds, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, specifically targeting suburban women with a message that even if they are fiscally conservative, even if they lean right on issues like abortion, they still have a home within the Democratic Party. Now, contrast that with Donald Trump, who is clearly not trying to reach out to Democrats. In fact, he continues to call his political opponents the enemy from within and the Harris campaign. They are capitalizing on statements from Trump like that in these final few weeks. One of her key closing messages is that Trump is a threat to the nation, a threat to democracy. So in her rally, she's been using his own words against him.
But Keir, it is interesting that in these final two weeks, at least for these next couple of days, she is focusing a lot more on television interviews and instead she's deploying her surrogates out her top surrogates, including former Presidents Clinton and Obama. And she's bringing in some major star power, with Bruce Springsteen joining her on the trail later this week as well. Kyra.
All right. Well, Catherine, during Trump's roundtable with Latino voters in Florida, he spent more time complaining about campaign schedules than actually talking about the issues. Let's listen.
She's sleeping right now. She couldn't go on the trail. You know, you think when you have 14 days left, you wouldn't be sleeping? She's not doing anything today. I was going to hit her really hard on the trail today. But now I don't have to because she's off. She's off? No, I can't get over it. Who the hell takes off? You have 14 days left, and she'll take a couple of more days off, too. You know why? She's lazy as hell and she's got that reputation.
All right, we're so close in this election. Why is Trump just not taking advantage of this opportunity to talk to the Latino voters?
Yeah, it's a good question. And typically when he does have these events where where it's either Latino voter outreach, where it's in the battleground states, where it's trying to target a demographic, if you will, that will be important to November. He does tend to veer off course as you just played. So he knows, though his campaign at least knows behind the scenes that this demographic, the Latino demographic, is hugely important to his election in November. We do know that Harris leads in that demographic, but that lead is narrowing and there is less support there than in the past that Democrats have with the Latino voters. So he will certainly still at least try to focus on that. Both sides here know that there that this election really will come down to a small group of people.
So Selena Harris is expected to head to Houston later this week to warn of a national abortion ban. Why campaign in Texas and not Georgia, one of the battleground states?
Yeah, I mean, it's a great question. And it is raising some eyebrows, but the way you have to look at it, according to the campaign, is that this is less about Texas in specific, but it's about using Texas to drive this national message. And this is about highlighting the extreme abortion ban in Texas, the strict abortion ban, and using it to talk about an issue that they believe is going to drive voters to the polls, and that is reproductive rights. This is one of the issues where Harris has a clear advantage over Donald Trump. While Trump still holds the leads in polls when it comes to issues like the economy and immigration, voters and polls say that they trust Harris more on the issue of women's reproductive rights. And she's going to make the argument that if Trump is elected again, you're going to see a continuation of what she's calling these extreme Trump abortion bans, and she's going to highlight the dangers of that and how it's going to put more women's lives at risk. You've seen Harris in recent months.
She's been out on the trail with women who've had life threatening circumstances. They weren't able to get the critical need care that they needed in time. And that's the message she's going to drive home in Texas.
So, Katherine, early voting has hit a record high. Why is potentially good news? I guess it could be potentially good news for Donald Trump now.
It could be. We just don't really know yet. And it's hard to compare to 2020. Frankly, when there was early voting because that was during the pandemic. So it's not really comparing apples to apples there. But we do know that Trump and Republicans well, in the past they've had mixed messages about early voting. They haven't totally encouraged their supporters to go to the polls and vote early. We do know that Republicans have been encouraging that. So if you look at you're looking at the vote totals, of course, right there as of October of 22, you see obviously that, um, it's a bit 40, 45 to 43 in terms of you're right, we're comparing them side by side there. So look, I think it's hard to tell right now because it really is hard to compare. But the reality is there is record turnout here in Pennsylvania and in Georgia. And that will continue. It could benefit Donald Trump.
All right. Selina Wang, Catherine Fowler, stay tuned. Thank you ladies. Well, it's definitely a more aggressive pre-election legal strategy. As November 5th quickly approaches. Former President Trump and the Republican National Committee have already engaged in more than 130 election lawsuits across 26 states, while Vice President Harris's attorneys say Democrats have intervened in dozens of baseless Republican lawsuits to debunk their lies and defeat them in court. Joining me now, investigative reporter Olivia Rubin. So, Olivia, we saw Trump and his allies scramble to challenge the 2020 election loss. What difference can these already filed lawsuits have this time around, do you think?
Well, Kyra, the difference really is the timing on this aggressive litigation push where we saw a lot of it after the 2020 election, in the 2020 cycle. Now, what we're seeing is this aggressive push before the election, targeting what kinds of ballots are going to end up counting, trying to sort of get some of those thrown out, targeting different laws, different deadlines, whether, for example, in Pennsylvania, voters should be notified or not, whether their ballots that they sent in by mail? Had a defect or not? So that's not to say that we didn't see these types of things before the 2020 election. Only after we certainly did. But now there is this very clear, aggressive push from the RNC in coordination with the Trump campaign to get this in before. And I can tell you, I spoke to, you know, one top Trump ally who is a fierce defender of the former president, saying Trump learned his lesson from 2020. And there is this new what they say coordinated aggressive legal team going to the courts now instead of after the election.
So if Trump wins, will all these pre engaged lawsuits just get tossed?
Well I certainly think we'll see less of an aggressive push from at least the right going to the courts. I will say, you know there's we don't want to ever discount it. We keep going back to what we saw in 2020, like we saw flooding the courts for certain. But I do think, you know, a lot of this is in preparation. Should the former president lose. We don't know what the Harris campaign will necessarily do if she is the one that loses. But I will say just having, you know, also spoken to a number of election officials and local election officials in the battleground counties. Many of them are bracing for this litigation. In the case, of course, should Donald Trump lose.
Well, and let's talk about Democrats and how they're fighting back against these baseless claims as well.
It's really fascinating. The Democrats, too, are mounting this aggressive opposition to Republicans in courts. We were speaking to lawyers with the Harris campaign who said that they have intervened in 35 cases with the DNC around the country. And really, Kyra, what's so fascinating about this is this is a years long effort for Democrats. They told us that it was immediately after Joe Biden took office in 2021. Of course, the cloud of the 2020 election hanging over the cloud of January 6th, hanging over. They immediately got together and started planning this legal effort, which is really years in the making. And if you, you know, look at the story that I reported out with Will Steakin Brueggeman the whole team there. There's this internal memo we got from the Harris campaign that lays out their strategy pretty in one clear line, it says, debunk their lies, defeat them in court. They have thousands of pages drafted already. They have told us so. It will be a matter of seeing what happens after the election as well.
Stay tuned. Olivia Rubin, thank you. So Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Tel Aviv meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials. Still hoping to push for a ceasefire in Gaza right now. Families of hostages still being held by Hamas are gathering outside Blinken's hotel, as U.S. officials hope the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will help push both sides toward some kind of resolution. But until that happens, Israel says it will continue to target terrorist strongholds in both Gaza and Lebanon, despite the growing civilian death toll just today. Video capturing the moments an IDF missile struck near Lebanon's largest public hospital, killing 13 people, including one child. Our foreign correspondent Tom Soufi Burridge is in Tel Aviv with more. Tom.
Yeah, Carol, we know Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Netanyahu met for 2.5 hours in terms of what Blinken is trying to achieve on this trip, I think it's quite hard to say, really. I mean, look, US officials are saying he is pushing the notion that after the death of the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, this is an opportunity. The US believes, for, you know, a reset in terms of talks and a push for not only a ceasefire, but also trying to work towards, you know, what Gaza will look like after the war. Also trying to pressure the Israeli government on getting more aid into the Gaza Strip, also trying to get some kind of diplomatic momentum for a ceasefire in Lebanon in terms of Israel's war against Hezbollah. But I think, like at the moment, most of this trip is designed to show the American public in the run up to the election that the administration is not giving up. And it's working around the clock, as it has done for the last few months, to try, sadly, unsuccessfully, to bring the conflict in Gaza, the conflict in Lebanon, to a close.
Look, the Lebanese situation, the situation in Lebanon has definitely escalated in the last couple of days. I mean, we're seeing the imagery out of there, the IDF taking out entire buildings. One building in Beirut, for example, the IDF calling it a Hezbollah facility. ABC news did speak to a man who says he lived in that building for the last three years with his family, and he says he saw no suspicious activity, suggesting that Hezbollah was using that building. But the IDF has also been taking out buildings related to Hezbollah's financial arm, a kind of quasi bank which the IDF says Hezbollah is using to fund its operations. So the war in Lebanon seems to be escalating. The war in northern Gaza seems to be escalating where the humanitarian situation picture is dire. And all the while Anthony Blinken is here talking to Prime Minister Netanyahu. I think one of the key issues on the agenda is clearly Israel's plan to launch that retaliatory strike against Iran and the US, desire that it doesn't lead to a wider escalation and potentially a direct all out war between Israel and Iran.
Kyra.
Tom Stuifbergen for us in Tel Aviv. Tom. Thanks. Well, testimony now underway in the federal retrial of Brett Hankison, a former Louisville police officer charged in the death of Breonna Taylor, one of his fellow officers, Myles Cosgrove, who was fired for killing Taylor, testified he was shocked when he says Hankison opened fire through covered windows without seeing a target and that he was almost hit. Hankison is charged with violating the civil rights of Taylor, her boyfriend and their neighbors during the botched 2020 raid. An initial trial ended in a mistrial last year. He has pleaded not guilty. Let's bring in our legal contributor, Shawna Lloyd, for more. So, Shawna, the prosecution called Hankison's actions unfathomably dangerous, but his defense argued that even if he violated policy, a policy violation is not always a criminal act. So what will be the prosecution's strategy here for proving that a crime was committed?
So the prosecution is really going to tie his actions to the violation that they see of her civil rights, along with the other neighbors that were potentially endangered, endangered by his actions. So the prosecution is really going to hone in on the fact that even though this was a departure from the department's standards, this also took the extra steps of violating those civil rights. And that that is why he should be convicted under these particular charges.
So this is the third trial in a row where we heard from one of Hankison's coworkers, Officer Myles Cosgrove. He says that he was shocked when Hankison opened fire. What are your takeaways from his testimony?
You know, it's always interesting when we have an officer testify against another officer because he was, in fact, the officer whose bullet killed Breonna Taylor. So when he's testifying, it creates a little bit of a issue with jurors because he's the actual person whose bullet killed her. However, he's testifying against another officer. So when we see that there's a lot of impact, when one officer will say to another, this was actions you should not have taken, even though his bullets hankerson's did not actually impact Breonna Taylor.
So the last time Hankison was tried, it ended in a hung jury and a mistrial. So how does the court avoid that outcome this time around?
Well, the prosecution is really going to try to hone its case. Let's remember that although there's been three trials, this is the third trial. The first was a state trial. This is the second federal trial. So the prosecution has had a chance to see what the defense has presented. How jurors reacted to that. And so they're really going to hone their case in on what they feel like are their strong points in order to get that conviction. Obviously, the court is really going to work to not have another mistrial in a deadlocked jury, but that always comes down to the jury box. Can the prosecution really make that point that this was a violation of her constitutional rights, clearly enough that all jurors want choose and decide to convict?
Lloyd. Appreciate you. Thank you. Coming up, putting on a full court press to pick up Latino voters. We'll look at the very different ways the candidates are going after this crucial electorate. Next.
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Glad you're streaming with us. Two weeks from one of the most consequential elections in American history. The candidates are putting on a full court press to pick up Latino voters. Former President Donald Trump holding a roundtable discussion with Latino leaders at his Miami golf club today, and responding to criticism, he instructed Republicans not to move forward with a bipartisan deal on the border earlier this year.
And then they complain about a bill. It's a phony deal. It's a scam. There's no bill. I never had a bill. All you have to do is president, wake him up and say, Joe, we need you to say, close the border. That's what I did. I just said, we're closing the border.
Our contributor, Maria Elena Salinas, joining us with more. So the Latino electorate has grown in most of the battleground states, right. They're also voting Republican in much larger numbers than we've seen in the past, especially in Florida. We know this isn't, you know, a monolithic group. But what do you make of what's happening right now?
Well, as far as Florida is concerned, you know, today, former President Trump told the people gathered there that Vice President Kamala Harris is a leftist radical. And and many of the other insults that we have come to hear in his events. But Trump is in friendly territory in Florida, so he probably feels most comfortable talking to this crowd. And Trump is now leading Vice President Harris with Hispanics in Florida, with somewhere around 5,456% of the vote. Now, what is surprising about this is that this would be the very first time in over 20 years that a majority of Latinos support Republican, a Republican candidate here in Florida. You know, and it's to be expected. It's a very different electorate from the rest of the Latinos. You know, besides the economy, inflation, crime, you know, their issue here is socialism. Um, Trump has successfully painted Vice President Harris as a socialist with this community that has exiles from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Many of them who fled left wing totalitarian regimes in their home countries.
And, you know, sometimes it feels like they are exploiting their pain. You know, Florida is an outlier, though, in that sense, because it's the only state where Trump leads with Latino voters nationally and in some of the battleground states. Vice President Harris still is leading with Latinos, although her lead is is smaller than previous Democratic candidates.
So let's just go back and talk about Trump's campaign, you know, and how it's been using anti-immigration rhetoric from almost the moment he came down that golden escalator in 2015. And it continues now with lies about the migrant community, specifically in Springfield, Ohio. But he got huge cheers at that roundtable today for his harsh border policies. What does that tell you?
Well, that's not necessarily a big issue for Latinos, especially Latino leadership, most of whom are part of the Cuban American community. We still have a lot of immigrants in the state from Central America, some from Mexico, who are come here. They're farm workers, and they are very concerned with that kind of rhetoric, but not necessarily in the type of people that he was with at that, at that roundtable. But, you know, when it comes to immigration, we're seeing a dramatic change in Latino voters views. Traditionally, they have leaned Democratic, in part because of the promise of that immigration reform that would open the door to the legalization of undocumented immigrants who have been living here for decades, who have roots, who may have, you know, U.S. born children and also for dreamers. But that immigration reform did not materialize. So now what we see is a growing number of Latino voters who favor hardline positions on the border, not just here in Florida, but across the country. They support building the wall and some even support mass deportations.
And it's a very complex situation, because mass deportation would mean separating families and maybe even deporting family members of those who support that policy. There are around 22 million people in the U.S. that live in mixed status households, where there's at least one member who is undocumented. And then there are, of course, many reasons for that, for that change in views. It's partly because they don't want to be associated with what they perceive to be chaos at the border. Many are second, third, or even fourth generation Latinos that don't have that identity with their heritage that previous generations like mine had. You know, there was a New York Times poll recently that showed that when Trump vilifies immigrants saying that they are criminals or that they are poisoning the blood of the country when he uses that kind of anti-immigrant rhetoric. Two thirds of Latino voters said that they don't feel that he's talking about them. Those are other immigrants. Not me. Not my family, not my friends. And that's one of the most surprising things that I have seen about Latinos in this election cycle.
Oh, yeah.
That that is very interesting. Well, then we've got the Democratic side. Harris has highlighted how she'd create more opportunities for Latino men in particular. That's a group that polls show have been sort of drifting to the GOP. What do you make of the growing gender gap among nonwhite voters now?
Yeah. You know, it's interesting the majority of Latinas still are supporting Vice President Harris and in higher numbers than men, especially young Latino men. But because for Latinas, reproductive rights are a big issue, not the top issue, but it is influencing their vote. Not so much for Latino men. Trump's behavior and his insults towards immigrants do not seem to bother Latino men. Some even find his rhetoric entertaining. They identify with his bravado. And, you know, I have to say here that there's a macho component to it. And of course, it's also the economy. Since young men, particularly black and Latino young men, are falling behind their female counterparts in college attainment and entrepreneurship. That's why, as you mentioned, Vice President Harris has not specifically. She's specifically courting Latino men. And just like she did with black men, she just announced that opportunity agenda for Latino men. That includes lowering costs, increasing home ownership and expanding job opportunities. But, you know, even though Latinos are everywhere and there's hundreds of thousands of them in some of these battleground states.
You know, it all depends on last minute effort to get them to register to vote and to get them to go out and vote.
Maria Elena Salinas.
I always appreciate your insight. Thank you.
Thank you Kira.
Straight ahead LeBron James has done just about everything there is to do in the NBA, but tonight is the moment he's been waiting for for 20 years.
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Glad you're streaming with us. Some other top headlines that we're tracking for you here on ABC News Live. Exploiting young male models and then luring them in with promises of fame and fortune and then sexually abusing them. Those are the allegations, as the former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO is charged in a federal sex trafficking probe. The indictment accuses Mike Jeffries, his partner and a third man, of operating an international sex trafficking and prostitution business. The feds say that the trio paid dozens of men to travel the world to engage in sex acts. The men are expected to be arraigned in New York. No date given for that. Yet Jeffries attorney says he'll respond to the allegations when appropriate. More than 2400 mental health workers with Kaiser Permanente walking off the job in Southern California. The union representing the workers say they're striking over increased workloads and staffing shortages that have created a substandard system of care. The company says the walkout was unnecessary and that the union wants more money for the therapist to spend less time with patients. And the new NBA season tips off tonight in the same place the last one ended.
Boston Celtics will raise their record 18th championship banner before they host the New York Knicks. The opening night doubleheader wraps up with a potentially historic game on the West Coast. LA Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves, and at some point, superstar LeBron James could take to the court with his rookie son, Bronny. If and when they do play together, they'd be the first father son duo to play together in NBA history. The news never stops. I'm Kyra Phillips, so glad you're streaming with us. Lot more news up next. Don't go far.
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Day. But millions of voters already casting early votes right now as we come on the air with those numbers. Tell us about the state of the race for the white House. Plus developing news at this hour. Donald Trump set to go on the influential Joe Rogan podcast. We. We go inside his never before tried closing strategy to win last minute votes. And one thing you might have missed. Elon Musk now offering swing state voters a chance to win $1 million. Plus, we track new misleading Facebook ads now flooding battleground states. Where did they come from? But we do want to begin here with breaking news. Former President Barack Obama on the stage at a Harris rally. We want to go to him live. Here's the former president first.
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A new generation of leadership in this country and start building a better, stronger, fairer, more hopeful America. Now we know this election is going to be tight. It's going to be tight here in Wisconsin. It's going to be tight all across the country.
And it's going to be tight because a lot of Americans are still struggling.
And as a country, we've been through a lot over the last few years. We forget.
Sometimes.
We. A historic pandemic wreaked havoc on communities, on families, on businesses, and then disruptions from the pandemic caused price hikes to put a strain on family budgets, and people started feeling like no matter how hard they worked, they were just treading water. So I understand why folks are looking to shake things up. I get it. What I cannot understand is why anybody would think that Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that's good for you.
That I do not understand. Because there is.
Absolutely no evidence that this man thinks about anybody but himself. I've said it before. Donald Trump is a 78 year old billionaire who hasn't stopped whining about his problems since he came down that golden escalator nine years ago. And when he I mean, and he's complaining 2 or 3 in the morning, he's texting. What's he doing? When he's not complaining, he's trying to sell you stuff. Have you noticed that? Who does that? You're running for president and you're hawking merchandise. Gold sneakers, $100,000. Watch. It's supposed to be Swiss watch. He says the best watch. Why are you selling the watch? What are you doing? My favorite is the Trump Bible. True story. True story. I mean, it's embossed with his name. Right on it, Donald Trump. Right next to Matthew and Luke. Donald. And I'll give you one guess where those Bibles are made. He's Mr. tough guy on China. Except when it comes to making a few bucks. You cannot make this stuff up.
You really can't. If some of this stuff happened on Saturday Night Live, you'd be like, all right, that's going too far. That's that didn't really happen, but it did. And he's doing it because what he cares about is his ego and his money and his status. He's not thinking about you. That's right. He sees power. He sees you as a means to his ends. He wants the middle class to pay the price for another huge tax cut. That would mostly help him and his country club buddies. He doesn't care if he costs more women their reproductive freedoms because apparently it doesn't affect his life. Most of us, most of all, Donald Trump wants us to think that this country is hopelessly divided between us and them. Now, for him, us means the quote, real Americans who support him. Anybody who doesn't. They're they're them. And he employs this strategy like politicians have for millennia, because having people divided and angry boosts his chances of being elected. That's his that's his focus.
Is this going to help me or not? Is it going to help you? And along with those intentions, there's also, as Tim talked about, there are questions about his competence. I mean, there are he's out there giving two hour speeches. It's like Fidel Castro just keeps on talking. It's just word salads. The other day he had a town hall meeting. Now I've been I've done my share of town hall meetings. My experience is the goal of the town hall meeting is you meet with your constituents, with citizens, with voters. You answer their questions. He decided, no, I'm not going to answer questions anymore. Let's just play music for half an hour. So he's standing there and he's swaying Ave Maria and YMCA and you know, the governor from South Dakota. She's standing there with this weird look on her face, like she doesn't really know what's going on. She's like, it's like a hostage video.
Can I can you imagine if Tim.
Did that or Kamala did that, or I did that? Now our playlist would be better.
But. Would be. But you would say.
To yourself, this is odd behavior. He called himself the father of IVF. No, I have no idea what that means. You don't either. He said January 6th was a day of love, right? You're going to hear this from me. Do not boo vote. They can't hear you, boo. They can hear your vote.
That's the way to send a message. So look, my.
My point is, you'd be worried if grandpa was acting like this. Right. You call up your brother, you'd call up your cousins, you'd say, have you noticed? But this is coming from somebody who wants unchecked power. So, Wisconsin, we do not need to see what an older loonier Donald Trump looks like with no guardrails. America is ready to turn the page. We are ready for a better story. Wisconsin.
We are ready for a President Kamala Harris. And the good news is.
Kamala Harris is ready for the job. This is a leader who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice and need a champion, somebody who was raised in a middle class family who actually worked at McDonald's when she was in college to pay her expenses. Didn't just pretend like he worked at McDonald's when it was closed. Someone who believes in the values that built this country, and who is as prepared for the job as any nominee for president has ever been.
So. The point is, the point is Kamala knows you.
She knows your life. She she knows what it's like to to scrap and to strive and to work hard and to see her, her mom worry about the bills. So does Tim. So if you elect them, they will be focused on your problems. They understand that too many folks here in Wisconsin are struggling to pay the bills and understand wages have been steadily growing, unemployment has been dropped, has has dropped. Inflation is finally slowing. But the price of everything from health care to housing to groceries is still too high. And it hurts. So the question is not do you want to see better? The question is who's going to actually do something about this? So par for the course. Donald Trump's plan is to give another massive tax cut to billionaires and big corporations. And I've talked to some folks and they'll say, yeah, but you know, I do remember the economy was pretty good when Trump first came into office.
And I said, yeah, because it was my economy. And. I had spent I.
Had spent eight years cleaning up the mess that the Republicans left me. I had spent eight years getting the auto industry back on track, reopening factories. So when I handed over 75 straight months of job growth to Donald Trump, all he did was give a tax cut to people who didn't need it, drove up the deficit in the process. So I don't have nostalgia for what his economy was.
Because that was mine. And now he wants to do it again.
When it comes to health care, when it comes to health care, Donald Trump's got one answer. And that is to end the Affordable Care Act. Not because he's got a good reason for it, but because it's Obamacare, right? So a couple of weeks ago. But but the problem is, the problem that he's got now is that it's popular because 50 million people have used it and are still using it.
And so. So when he was asked about it.
When his running mate was asked about it during their debate, uh, the guy's got the nerve, The the chutzpah to say Donald Trump salvaged the Affordable Care Act. Now come on, man. Donald Trump spent his entire presidency trying to tear it down. And he couldn't even do that, right. And now, eight years after elected. Uh, you know, some of y'all watched the debate. Eight years. Eight years later, he's asked about it during his debate with Kamala. And they say, well, you want to get rid of Obamacare? Uh, do you what would you replace it with? He says, well, I've got concepts of a plan. I want you to think about this for a second. So let's say your boss gives you an assignment, says I need it by Friday. Friday rolls around and your boss says, so. Did you finish that project I asked for? I say. Well, I haven't actually started, but I do have a concept for a plan.
Or you could try it at home, honey. Did you do the dishes? Not yet, but I do have a concept.
Of a plan for doing the dishes. How's that going to go? If it wouldn't work for you, it shouldn't work for the president of the United States. So. But the good news is.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. They don't have concepts of a plan. They have an actual plan.
To make your life better. Tim just talked about it.
They're going to bring down costs by going after corporations that unfairly jack up prices. They're going to make it more affordable to build a home and to buy a home. They're going to limit out-of-pocket health care costs. They're going to give a tax cut to 100 million middle class and working class Americans.
$6,000 tax credit. $6,000 tax credit.
If if you're having a child in that first year of life. And that helps those of you who've had kids, that's expensive, $6,000. You know, that helps with the car seat, crib, diapers I remember diapers. I remember changing my and Sasha's diapers. Do you think Donald Trump ever changed his diaper?
You'd be like, uh.
Jeeves. Jeeves. Change that diaper. He'd have somebody else do it. But. So. So that's who. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are. They've got actual plans. That's what they stand for, not concepts of a plan. Now, if you challenge Trump or Vance on these concepts, they'll fall back on one answer. Blame the immigrants. He wants you to believe that if you let them round up whoever he wants and ship them out, all your problems will be solved. Now I want to I want to talk about this. This is serious. We have a real issue at the borders. We're a nation of immigrants, and we are a nation of laws. We've got to make sure the system works the way it's supposed to in an orderly fashion. So there's work to be done there. But when I keep on hearing from these guys, I have to. I scratch my head because they like to talk about Kamala being vice president for four years. Well, wasn't he president for four years?
I know it's shocking. I know there's some PTSD going on and people are blocking it out. He was. So if this concept of a plan of rounding up and deporting millions of desperate people, many of them women and children, was the answer to everything, well, why is it that the number of undocumented immigrants was basically the same when he left office as when he took office? And I'll tell you why. Because he did not have a real plan. He had a concept of a plan, and it was a mean and ugly concept. You know what would actually help? Bring order to the border and fix our immigration system? The bipartisan deal that Kamala Harris supported.
Even though it was written by one of the most conservative Republicans in Congress. And I want you to know. Hear me out now.
Hear me out. Because there are a lot of people here in Wisconsin and around the country who are actually concerned about this. I cannot emphasize this enough. Democrats and Republicans, conservative Republicans came together with a concrete plan that would have put more enforcement at the border, more judges to process issues. All this stuff. Donald Trump lobbied actively and told Republicans to vote against it, because he figured it was better to have an issue that he could run on for his presidential campaign. He was not interested in actually trying to solve a problem.
Do not boo. Do not boo. Vote. We do not need.
A president who will make problems worse just to make his politics better. We need a president who actually cares about solving problems and making your life better. And that's what Kamala Harris will do.
That's what Tim Walz will do. And to help.
To help them do it. They're going to need a Senate full of public servants like Tammy Baldwin. Tammy has spent her career fighting for things like good jobs and affordable health care and medication and personal freedom, and she knows how to make a difference. You know, we were just talking about the Affordable Care Act. Well, as some of you know, and some of you have used one of the provisions in the Affordable Care Act says that young people, when they're just getting started, can stay on their parents health care plan until they're 26.
Now, Tammy Baldwin.
Wrote that part of the bill.
Because she knew how important it was to Wisconsin families. That's the kind of.
Person we need in Washington.
The kind of.
Person who's going to help Kamala and Tim get stuff done, and who share our values and want to move the country forward and not backward. I miss you, too. That's why I came. Now, one of these values is freedom. So let's talk about that for a second.
I do. I do not think we have ever had.
I don't I don't think we've ever had an election where candidates understand the concept, the idea and the reality of freedom so differently. Because for Donald Trump and his cronies, freedom basically means getting away with stuff. It means. Well, you know, if I want to bust a union, let me. I can. I can get away with that. And. No, do not move. Vote. But but but his attitude is. Well, that's freedom. I want to pollute this close by river because it'll save me some bucks. I won't have to. I can go ahead and do that. So so so to them, freedom is letting powerful people do whatever the heck they want with no consequences. It's like you said, in the middle of the pandemic, when people were dying, hospitals were overrun. Donald Trump actually uttered the words, I do not take any responsibility at all. I, I am I am not sure any American president has ever said those words before, but that's his idea of freedom.
I do what I want, and I'm not held accountable and I'm not responsible for anything. We have a broader idea of freedom. We believe that true freedom gives each of us the right to make decisions about our own life, and it requires us to recognize that other people have the freedom to make different choices. And that's true even on the most contentious issues. I have always said there are good people of conscience on both sides of the abortion divide. I respect those whose faith tells them that this isn't something they support. But if we believe in freedom, then we should at least agree that such a deeply personal decision should be made by the woman whose body is involved and not by politicians.
And most Americans believe that as well. Most Americans, most Americans.
Believe that as well. Which is why it's been fascinating watching Donald Trump just tie himself into a pretzel on this issue. When he ran for president the first time. He said he'd support punishing women who got abortions. Then a few weeks ago, he tells women, don't worry, I'll be your protector. You heard Tim talk about how Donald Trump actually protected you. Roe versus Wade overturned Trump abortion bans in 20 states. He's out there saying everybody wanted it this way. No, they did not. But Donald Trump may be confused about this. You can't be. You need to be clear about what's at stake here. Tammy Baldwin actually introduced a bill that would restore the reproductive freedom that women had for nearly 50 years.
If Congress passes that bill. Kamala Harris will sign it into law. Now.
It's an example of how As frustrating as politics can be sometimes, and I know it can be frustrating. Look, I do not watch cable news, I really don't. I there are times where I just, I don't understand how we got so toxic and just so divided and so bitter. And I get why sometimes people just don't want to pay attention to it. And we all have friends like that. We have family members who are just like, ah, you know, it's all it's all a circus out there, I get that. But elections really do matter. Who you vote for matters. Not, not not because it's going to change every problem we got. No. No president, no vice president, no senator, no governor is going to solve every problem. We're not going to get we're not going to eliminate poverty overnight. We're not going to change, you know, race relations right away, right? You know, we're born into history and and change takes time. And and so sometimes I think we expect so much.
And then we're disappointed when everything's not immediately solved and we start thinking politics doesn't matter. But but the thing is, what politics can do, what elections can do, they can make your life a little better, your neighbor's life a little better, they can make it a little worse, and that little bit of better or a little bit of worse, that adds up. And sometimes I have to talk to people who don't think there's going to be a difference, whether it's Kamala Harris or or Donald Trump wins. And they're not bad people. They just don't think politics matters to their lives. And I have to remind them. You know, the Affordable Care Act, it didn't eliminate all problems with health care, but there are 50 million people who got health care that didn't have it before.
There are. There are more than 50 million people who had.
Pre-existing conditions, and it used to be they couldn't get coverage. If you had a sick kid, you know, with a chronic illness, you're a parent. You might not be able to get insurance for your child. Before the Affordable Care Act and now you had to make a choice. Are you going to sell your house in order to get that child the care that they need? Imagine that. That's you don't have to imagine it. That's what was going on. That's not true now. Because of elections, because of politics, it made a difference to them. Some people in this auditorium saw a concrete benefit in their lives as a consequence of elections.
I'll give you I'll give you one more example. I'm going to. And I know, you know.
Look, I know I'm going a little long here, but but I want to, I want to, I want, I want to I want to really button this down. I'll give you another example. When I was president last couple of years in office, I took an interest in what scientists were saying that with globalization and travel and growing populations, at some point we were going to see a serious pandemic. So this back in 14, 15, 16. So I said to my team, we need to get a plan together, just like we have one for natural disasters. You have to practice. You have to have a sense of how are you going to respond if there's a flood or a hurricane or an earthquake. And I said, we need to do the same thing with the pandemic. So we put together a playbook and we consulted with all the experts. And then we had every agency talk about, all right, how are we going to work with the public health agencies in the states?
And how are we going to deal with the schools? Do we keep them open? How long? What are we going to do in terms of developing vaccines? Had a whole playbook. Put it all together. Big thing. Then we did tabletop exercises with all the agencies. Let's practice how we're going to deal with this. So when Donald Trump comes into office, we gave him that playbook. And apparently it got dropped into a trash bin. And hold on a second. So three years later, a pandemic hits. Now, I want to be fair on this. I understand what I'm saying. No matter who was president, if I had been president, if Hillary Clinton been president, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, it doesn't matter. This was going to be a problem. People were going to get sick. People were going to die. Businesses were going to shut down for a while. Travel was going to be restricted. It was something we hadn't seen since 1918. Right. So it was going to be a challenge.
But if you look at a country like Canada, their per capita death rate was 60% lower than the United States. Now, I want you to do the math. Let's say we lost more than a million people from Covid in the United States. 60% difference. That's 600,000 people. People's grandparents, people's parents, cousins, brothers, friends, coworkers. Most of you know somebody whose lives was touched. 60%. Might be alive if we had a capable, competent government that was paying attention. So if somebody tells you it does not make a difference whether you elect someone who's competent, somebody who cares about you, somebody who listens to experts and listens to ordinary people and knows what their lives are like and what they're going through, it makes a difference. It's going to make a difference to them, and it's going to make a difference to you. And if that's not enough, you've got to remind them this election is about more than just policies. It's about values and it's about character. You know, some of you know that when I was growing up, I didn't have a father in the house.
Parents divorced when I was two, didn't really know my father, but I did have people around me. I had a stepfather for a while. I had grandparents, teachers, coaches. Most of all, my mom who who tried to teach me the difference between right and wrong, who showed me what it meant to be honest and and to work hard and to be responsible and to treat people the way I wanted to be treated. And I'll be honest with you, sometimes, like most young people, like teenagers, I didn't always live up to those values. I made mistakes. I tried to learn from them. But, but, but I internalize those values, right? And I tried to live up to them. And most of you grew up the same way. And one of the disturbing things about this election, about Trump's rise in politics, is how we seem to have set aside the values that we were taught. Down in Chicago. I saw an old friend of mine, Jeff Tweedy.
He's a. You guys, some of you guys know Wilco. His dad, uh, dad was worked, uh, in railcars. I think it is. Um. Union guy. Uh, and I think I think his name was, uh. I think he said his name was Robert E Lee. Tweedy. And so Jeff was describing how he had to persuade his dad to vote for me that first time because. But over time, I guess he became a supporter. And. But but his dad said something interesting when he told me when when Trump came into office, he said, I never thought I'd see my fellow workers suck up to the boss's son like that, which was interesting, but it had to do with values. That's what he was talking about, right? Character. What do you stand for? Who are you? What do you believe in Barack Obama?
They're rallying for Kamala Harris in the battleground state of Wisconsin. He's got another event later today in Detroit, Michigan, where Eminem will make a guest appearance. He's also alongside VP candidate Tim Walz. I do want to bring in our senior white House correspondent, Selina Wang, who's standing by at the white House. She's been watching this speech along with me and Selina. One thing that stuck out to me, one headline of the many headlines there was Barack Obama saying that he, quote, voted early yesterday in Chicago. He encouraged others to vote early, too. But before we even get into that, talk to me about your takeaways from what Obama said. He really took it to Trump. This was a confrontational speech criticizing Donald Trump, saying that he has quote unquote, odd behavior, he said of Donald Trump's behavior, quote, you'd be worried if grandpa was acting like this. What stood out to you?
Yeah, I was with Obama during his very first rally for Vice President Harris when he was in Philadelphia. And look in Pennsylvania. And look, he is somebody who is hugely popular within the Democratic Party. And Harris, at this late stage, they are deploying all of their big superstars. That includes the former president. And he doesn't pull any punches. He tells a lot of jokes as well. And a central theme that he's been repeating on the trail is this that he understands why people would think that Donald Trump would shake things up for them, that he is the so-called change candidate. But the argument he's making is that Donald Trump is not going to shake things up in a way that's going to benefit the American people. He's hitting on this point that Harris has also made, that Donald Trump is only out for himself, that the change he makes is going to help himself and his wealthy friends. So that's really a key theme from the former president. And it is notable, Jay, that you've got Obama out today.
You have walls, Clinton. You've got celebrities out for the vice president. But she is off the trail today. Instead, she's doing two taped interviews, including with NBC and Telemundo. So that is raising some eyebrows. But they're making the bet that the surrogates can make the pitch on behalf of Vice President Harris instead, and that some of these big superstars like Eminem and Bruce Springsteen, who's going to be joining them on the trail later this week, that they're going to help reach to those low propensity voters, those voters who aren't really paying attention to that. Those superstars could convince them to go to the polls.
Yeah, that campaign schedule, something Trump mocked Harris over during a Latino voters town hall earlier today. But obviously, Obama in Wisconsin, a state that began early in-person voting today. He said he voted early yesterday by mail. We're seeing a number of states already begin early in-person voting. In some states, they are breaking records, lines around the block. What have you seen in some of those early voting numbers? And does it give us a sense of who has an advantage in a state like, you know, Nevada, where Republicans feel good, or in a state like Pennsylvania, where Democrats say they're seeing numbers that make them feel good?
Yeah. I mean, it's really remarkable that you have some states breaking records. You can see the images there. The lines out that we were seeing earlier with over 18 million people already already casting their ballots. Now in 2020, many people voted by mail because of the pandemic. But you are seeing more people vote by mail. Many people continuing to do in-person early voting. That habit is continuing into this year. Now, if you look at the states that track mail in ballots by party registrations, Democrats are still in the lead when it comes to mail in voting, but Republicans are cutting into those margins. So in Pennsylvania, which is, of course, a must win for Democrats, they do still have a wide lead. But in another state like Nevada, you see that it's much closer with Republicans really making gains there. But we do really have to be careful about drawing too many conclusions about early voting, whether it's by mail or in person. We won't really know who has the edge, of course, until after the election.
Right. Because you don't know who's casting a ballot for who. You just know what voter affiliated with what party voted. But, Selina, you also have a little bit of developing news for us. You spoke with Mark Cuban today, who's been a top Harris surrogate, obviously a very outsized voice in the Democratic Party at this hour. And he talked about Harris and her campaign skills. And he also talked about Elon Musk. What did he tell you?
Yeah, it was a really interesting and wide ranging conversation. Mark Cuban, he is a billionaire entrepreneur and investor business person. He's become a really vocal supporter of Vice President Harris. And he told me that Harris is not a great sales person, that she is good at policy. She would be a great president, that she's a great leader. But making the pitch and selling just is not her strong suit, especially compared to someone like Donald Trump. but he said he still believes that the momentum is behind her despite all of the anxiety from Democrats. And we also spoke quite a bit about Elon Musk. He told me that he had actually tried to set up a private conversation between Elon Musk and Vice President Harris because he says a lot of what Musk is saying about Harris publicly is flat out wrong. He told me that the Harris team declined that request because they were worried that Elon Musk wouldn't be able to keep that conversation private. And I also asked him about what Elon Musk is doing in terms of the sweepstakes giveaway of $1 million per day to a registered voter in a battleground state.
He called that move, quote, desperate. And he said it may backfire as much as it helps him, if not more.
Tease for later on in the broadcast. We're going to have a lot more on that Elon Musk giveaway, so stay with us. But Selina Wang at the white House, thank you so much for your time. We're also following developing news. We're learning that later this week, former President Donald Trump is going to go on the popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. It reaches a massive audience in the millions. And in this neck and neck race, podcasts are fast becoming a popular and sometimes unexpected way for these two candidates to try to pick up some extra votes. Vice President Harris did that notable appearance on the podcast, Call Her Daddy. But it's really Donald Trump who's been doing the podcast rounds and we crunch the numbers. His appearance on this show you're seeing now this past weekend with Theo Vaughn, that generated 14 million views on just YouTube alone. And then there's this one on the show, flagrant 5 million views just there. And that's not counting the other podcast apps or of course, the clips that get cut up of these appearances and go on TikTok.
This is a campaign strategy for both campaigns, unlike one that we've really ever seen before. So joining us to talk about all of this, particularly the Trump strategy here is our Trump whisperer and our executive editorial producer, John Santucci. John, welcome in. And what is the Trump strategy here of these podcast appearances?
Jay, great to join you at 4:00.
Listen, this is a very different Donald Trump right than we saw eight years ago as we geared up to the 2016 election finale, if you will. Back then, he was all over the Sunday shows, morning shows, evening shows, and now it's these podcasts. And what's interesting, Jay, you and I were talking about this a little earlier. It's the way that Donald Trump learned about this medium. It's actually from his youngest son, Barron Trump, who said to his father, this is what I listened to. These are the voices I'm attracted to. In particular, podcaster Logan Paul, the wrestler. Jay is someone that was on the front of mind of the youngest Trump, and that was the first podcast Donald Trump did raise a lot of eyebrows for people. Jay saying, why is he doing this? This is Donald Trump, the guy that was on TV as the host of The Celebrity Apprentice for nearly two decades. Why is he suddenly moving into podcasts? And if you look at the demographic and the voters that these podcast audiences are reaching.
It is playing into the strategy. And for the Harris campaign, they are clearly seeing those numbers move for Donald Trump. They're following suit. They're now doing it too, as you just referenced, Jay.
And a new demographic, a new medium. But what is the messaging been like on these podcasts and really on the campaign trail in general up to this point? Has he changed his messaging at all from the primary, where he was obviously talking to his base to now where he's got to reach different voters?
I think it's not so much.
Changing the messaging. I think it's actually honing in and being more disciplined. Right. When he's speaking to Christian voters, he's harnessing in on topics that are relevant and front of mind for them when he's talking to young men in this country. Right. That's obviously a key demographic that he's been fighting for over the course of this campaign cycle. You know, he's talking about things that relate to them, talking about jobs, talking about the economy, talking about the border, talking about safety. You know, people that have young families. So anything.
That.
He can really hone in on. And look, the other thing I think is important to reference, right. Think about the evolution of Donald Trump in 2016. He was introduced at the convention by one of his longest time friends, Tom barrack, the billionaire. Right. Talked about the success of Donald Trump at this convention. Eight years later, he was introduced by Dana White, the CEO of UFC, obviously a group that attracts younger voters, heavily male focused individuals. Right. So those are the ways that they are changing things up. The strategy is so different. And listen, you know, it's a test. Is this effective? Is this the new way to reach voters? That test is going to be proven right or wrong in just two weeks.
And John, there is developing news at this hour that I do just want to get you on very quickly. Rudy Giuliani, ordered by a federal judge to turn over all of his valuable possessions and his Manhattan apartment to two Georgia elections workers that a jury ruled he defamed in 2020. What more do we know about this? This is.
Devastating. I mean, this was the guy that was considered the mayor of America right after nine over 11. So Rudy Giuliani was sued for defamation by Shea Freeman and Ruby Moss. They were, of course, the mother daughter team that were the election workers down in Atlanta, Georgia. That was $150 million in defamation. Giuliani, as you well know, Jay has been sued repeatedly by different individuals, including one of his longtime attorneys, for not paying their fees. That $150 payment. Now he has to give up so many of his assets his apartment, jewelry, maybe even a watch. Jay. Get this. A ring, Jay that he got from a World Series championship by the Yankees. That being a fight right now between father and son, who say I gave it to my son as a gift. How could you take that? It's really, quite frankly, talking to a friend of Giuliani's earlier today. Sad.
John Santucci on that breaking news and that Trump podcast strategy. John, thank you as always. Thanks, Jay. And new media like podcasts and TikToks. They aren't the only thing shaking up this race. So is artificial intelligence. Officials in battleground states say they are concerned that AI driven misinformation, like deepfakes, could be deployed right now in this lead up to Election Day, and confuse voters in some of these crucial states.
The number one concern.
We have on Election.
Day are some of the challenges that we have yet.
To face.
There are some uncertainties.
Particularly with generative.
Artificial intelligence and the ways.
That those might.
Be used for training all of our.
Elections.
Officials to make sure that.
They're familiar.
With some of the weapons that might be deployed against.
Them.
These exercises, they walk us through those worst case scenarios so that we can be critically thinking, thinking on our toes.
ABC's Devin Dwyer has been looking into all of this for us. He joins us now. And Devin have we seen an example so far in this cycle of AI being used to propagate misinformation mislead voters etc.. Oh, we sure have J.
In that video you saw, there was from a.
Tabletop exercise.
We attended.
In Arizona a few weeks back where for the first time in this country, election officials are not only preparing for all the threats and the voting that will come on Election Day, but actually doing simulations on how they would handle potential scenarios involving AI. We saw it in New Hampshire. You'll remember back in January during the primary, when a robocall using voice cloning technology sounding a heck of a lot like Joe Biden, was sent out to tell Democrats not to vote in the primary and to save their vote for a later date. It was flagged. It was outed. In fact, the maker of that robocall using AI has been fined millions of dollars. But a prominent example of how officials are very concerned about what might happen on November 5th. We hear a lot about reports about how AI is being used to generate lots of misinformation and disinformation on social media. You've seen all the headlines. I think our eyes kind of glaze over. But what if election officials tell me they're most concerned about now, in these final two weeks, is about what I could be used to do on November 5th, particularly to disrupt the vote to bombard of call centers with fake voter calls, to make complaints, to send out news reports about, say, a potential shooting at a polling place to dissuade people from going there.
We've seen the pace at which this material can proliferate quickly, cheaply and it's a big concern now just in the home stretch. And Devin, you talked about that tabletop exercise that you witnessed. What did those state elections officials tell you about what they're doing, how they're trying to combat all of this potential misinformation? Yeah. You heard Secretary of State Fontes there in our interview in the lead in to the segment, say that he is teaching those election workers about how I could be weaponized against them. What a word that this technology could be used to target those workers in the field, trying to do their job. And some of the scenarios that we witnessed there in Arizona, which are being replicated in a number of battleground states. Jay, like I said, are these scenarios of what should you do if you start to get bombarded with phone calls? What should you do if someone shows up with what looks to be an official form but has been printed out on paper on, you know, copy paper, it's not real.
How do you verify whether this is an innocent attempt at filling out a form, or somebody bringing in something that's been AI generated? I was told, Jay, that the biggest thing all of us can do is educate ourselves, equip ourselves, know going into November 5th, that these technologies are being used by bad actors and not just foreign governments. And to be on the lookout, as one official told me, if it seems too good to be true, trust your gut, both in terms of what you see, what you hear, what you feel. The FBI, the social media companies, they're on the lookout, but we know they can't catch it all. Jay. ABC senior Washington reporter Devin Dwyer, thank you so much. And still ahead for us. I told you we'd get into this. Elon Musk's $1 million swing state giveaway and something you might have missed. Misleading Facebook ads popping up repeatedly in swing states. What is in them after the break?
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Welcome back. Videos are flooding social media now of billionaire Elon Musk's $1 million giveaway to voters in swing states. To qualify, you've got to sign a petition supporting the First and Second Amendments. But there's a catch. You can only sign the petition if you're a registered voter. Critics have questioned whether that move is legal or not, but Musk's pack says they are confident it is. So chances are you heard about that. But probably not. This a different effort to appeal to swing state voters, this time by an organization that calls itself progress 2028. They're running ads, these ads, in particular misleading ads right now as we speak on Facebook, appearing to look like they're from Kamala Harris or Democratic supporters, but they're touting policy positions that often the Harris campaign explicitly does not have, like claiming Harris wants to ban fracking. This show us here. We reviewed Facebook ad data, and more than 300 of these ads were purchased to be placed in the feeds of voters in every single swing state. So to talk more about that and about that Elon Musk giveaway, we want to bring in Anna Massoglia with Open Secrets, who began some of the reporting on those ads.
Anna, thank you so much for your time. Thanks for joining us. Where do these ads come from? Who is behind them?
Well, progress.
2028 is a project of a group called Building.
America's Future. That is a dark money group. We don't know who many of the funders are behind.
It, but it.
Is tied to Elon Musk, based on reporting by the New York Times. And they have adopted this fictitious name as project 2028. And so it's not what it appears to be. It appears to be this pro Kamala Harris effort.
That is run by.
Her supporters, a counter to project 2025, whereas in actuality it's run by this pro-Trump dark money network.
And you were able to trace them. I read your article by checking the fictitious name that they registered in Virginia State business records. So you can have a fictitious name as a political group. That's something that's permissible.
That is correct. They can adopt aliases.
And go by.
Multiple different names.
Whatever.
They so choose. They also have funneled money to various superPACs that are spending on elections directly.
So they have many.
Different identities that they are now putting out information.
About. So a Republican aligned superPAC is behind these ads, these misleading ads targeting voters in swing states.
Well, project.
2020 is actually a 500 and.
1C4 project, which means that it's not even supposed to be an explicitly political group, but because of very lax rules, it is.
Able to not.
Disclose its donors.
Not disclose its.
Spending, but still spend in a way that really.
Influences the election and can really.
Shape voters.
Views. Now, you cited their reporting from The New York Times saying that Elon Musk is connected to the group behind those ads. I do want to stay with Elon Musk very quickly, because there's been this controversy surrounding him now and this $1 million voter giveaway. There have been criticisms that that is illegal, that it violates federal and state election law. What is the law here when it comes to this?
Well, Musk can put as.
Much money as he wants.
Into influencing.
Elections, giving to his super PAC to spend in.
Support or opposition of a candidate.
You can have giveaways, you can have events. But really, where it gets into much murkier.
Legal territory is.
When you are giving for the purpose of only supporting votes. You can't.
Pay for votes, you can't buy.
Votes. And when you are giving to a cause that.
Requires people to.
Be registered voters.
It's much.
Less clear.
So is my understanding correct that the gray area is because he is not necessarily paying someone directly for their vote, or to register to vote. He's paying them theoretically, if they win this giveaway, to sign this petition that happens to be connected to his PAC and obviously he has endorsed a candidate. Is that all correct?
Correct. And where it really has issues is because they have to be registered voters in order to sign up.
Interesting. So if they didn't have to be registered voters or if it wasn't a campaign, particularly in swing states, which it is, he would potentially not have the legal issues that he may be having. That's correct. Now, the campaign or the PAC rather has said this is legal. We know that there's a call for various local and federal authorities to investigate this, but point being, it all hinges upon is he or is he not paying someone directly for their vote? That's the law here. Exactly.
And we're in really uncharted territory here because he has such unprecedented funds to pour into this. We really haven't faced this issue before.
And this is something we never really have seen anything like before. Or are there other examples of this going on?
None that I'm aware of.
Interesting. And help me understand here then. You know, you said he can put as much money he wants into a PAC. I want to go back to those ads that we were talking about, the Facebook ads. You said that that group was a quote unquote dark money group. Explain to me what that is. Meaning you can give money to them, but they don't have to disclose their donors.
That's correct.
So progress 2028 is a fictitious name or project of a group called Building America's Future. They don't have to disclose their donors because they are a.
500 1C4.
Nonprofit. Unlike a super PAC, which does have to disclose its.
Donors to the Federal Election Commission and file a number of financial disclosures with the FEC.
But because of the way it's structured. A superPAC can just report a dark money group as well. And that's.
Another way that Building.
America's future has really started to have impact by giving money to these super PACs. And because super PACs have to disclose their donors, all they have to do is disclose that building America's future is giving them money, ultimately hiding the source of funds so you.
Can give money to a group as a billionaire, whoever you are. Right. It goes to that group. No one ever has to know. You gave money to the group, and then they can loan out money to people that do have to report where they're getting their donors from.
That's correct.
They can just give the money there. You also have the dark money groups able to spend directly on certain messaging like this project progress 2028 ad, where because they're not explicitly calling for election or defeat of a candidate because it's online media, it exploits some loopholes in disclosure so that they're not have to they don't have to be disclosed.
And making us a lot smarter about the money behind our politics. Thank you so much for your time on this Tuesday afternoon. We should note on this program, by the way, we did reach out to the organization behind the progress 2028 ads for comment. We have not yet heard back. And still ahead for us, the news never stops. I'm Jay O'Brien. Thanks for streaming with us. There was a lot more news right here. Up next.
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I'm Jay O'Brien in Washington. We begin this hour with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in that final sprint to Election Day, their closing arguments to voters now taking shape with exactly two weeks to go until the polls close. Trump tonight set to hold his second campaign rally in just two days in the critical swing state of North Carolina. Earlier today, he was in Miami participating in a roundtable with Latino leaders. There. He blasted Vice President Harris for staying off the campaign trail. Today, she's staying put here in Washington, sitting down for a series of interviews. Here's Trump.
You know, you think when you have 14 days left, you wouldn't be sleeping. She's not doing anything today. I should take one of that. I've. We've gone 52 days in a row, and I'm going 14 more days, and we're going to have a big victory party. Hopefully.
While Harris is off the trail today, her biggest surrogates are out in full force. President Biden is visiting campaign workers in New Hampshire. Former president Bill Clinton is stumping in Las Vegas and former President Obama hitting the campaign trail in Madison, Wisconsin, earlier and set to speak tonight in Detroit, Michigan, introduced by a special guest, Eminem. And all of this comes as more than 19 million Americans have already cast a ballot in early voting across this country, and that number continuing to climb at this hour. We do want to turn to ABC news senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, who joins us live from Greensboro, North Carolina, the site of that Trump rally. And, Rachel, it is no coincidence that North Carolina is already voting early. Now, as we speak, ballots being cast. This is Trump's second rally in that state. And just two days. Why is this state so important to him?
Yeah, this is a must win for Donald Trump's campaign. He won the state in 2016. He won it again in 2020. He's really not taking any chances here in the final stretch. A lot of this has been about mobilizing his base, telling them to get to the polls. You can see the vote early sign that is behind me. That's a different tune than the former president has said. For years, he's railed against early voting, Mail-In voting now in this area, the state that has been gutted and devastated by Hurricane Helene, he's urging voters to head to the polls if they can early. And we went to the polls ourselves today. We saw some very long lines and talked to some voters. Take a listen to what they told us.
He talks without.
Thinking sometimes, but I like his policies.
His policies, I believe, are good for America.
We have a choice. We we are our bodies. We're female. We. We need to make the decisions. I don't like that someone who has doesn't have a clue, can't walk the walk has something to say about what a woman goes through.
Yeah. So it was interesting because this largely tracks with what we are seeing in our polls. You have Democrats talking about the importance of reproductive rights, abortion rights, as you just heard there. And then on the flip side, Republican voters talking about the economy, talking about this is not about Donald Trump's rhetoric. They say this is about how they felt four years ago, and they felt that the nation was better off under former President Donald Trump than it currently is under President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Jay and Rachel Trump is now set to sit down with another podcast, part of a string of podcasts focused strategies that he's employed. This time it's with Joe Rogan, probably the biggest name in that section of podcast media. What's the goal here from the Trump campaign?
Yeah, and this is interesting, Jay, because this is a strategy by the Trump campaign to try to reach voters that, quite frankly, aren't at these rallies. They are trying to appeal to what they call infrequent voters, maybe people that are somewhat paying attention to politics. They know that there is an election coming up. They're still undecided. They're trying to meet these voters where they are. And so you're seeing the former president do a string of different podcasts, different shows, some of which maybe people haven't necessarily heard of. But it is definitely a strategic play by the former president and his campaign to reach out to a certain type of voter young voters, male voters as well, and many of these critical states. And they ultimately believe that putting the former president out on some of these programs could have an impact in making sure that maybe they get a few additional voters to the polls in a state that is just so close, in a race that's just so close, every single vote is going to matter.
Jay and Rachel, when we talk about those swing states, Elon Musk is out with this giveaway, offering voters a chance to win $1 million if they're registered and they've signed a petition and they're in a very swing state. We're learning some former Republican advisers and officials are now calling for an investigation into that. Is that right?
Yeah, that's exactly right, Jay. So we have new reporting on this just out today where you have former Republican officials that are banding together. They send a letter over to the Justice Department, also to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office. They're calling for an investigation into this, because Elon Musk is now on his third million dollar giveaway. He's giving it to people who sign his petition for his super PAC. They have to be registered voters. It, of course, is illegal to pay anyone to register to vote. Well, you have this group of former Republican officials that are coming together saying the Justice Department needs to investigate this. They're calling this some sort of bribery scheme that's just sort of coated and overshadowed by this petition to sign something that's backing the Constitution. They believe it's all a ploy. So far. I can tell you, Jay, that we have learned that the the district attorney's office in Pennsylvania did receive that letter, but they are not confirming as of right now whether or not they are actually investigating this, but certainly a lot of questions around this one.
Jay.
Rachel Scott, for us at that Trump event. Rachel, thank you as always for more on the Harris campaign. We do want to bring in ABC News senior White House correspondent Selina Wang, who is live for us on the white House North Lawn. Selina Harris staying put here in D.C., but deploying her surrogates. You and I were just on the air moments ago, wrapping out of President Obama rallying in Wisconsin. What is the strategy here with some of this star power?
Yeah. Look, it is notable that Harris is off the trail today. Instead, she is doing interviews with NBC and Telemundo. But as you say, she is deploying some of her best surrogates out in these key battleground states, including former President Barack Obama. He is a huge star within the Democratic Party. He still holds huge sway and influence within this party. And he did not pull any punches today when he was talking about former President Donald Trump. He not only attacked Donald Trump's record when he was in office, but he also attacked his ethics, his morals, his character. He also questioned his mental fitness, saying that you'd be worried if grandpa was acting this way. And he cracked some jokes as well. So take a listen to what Obama said here.
Donald Trump is a 78 year old billionaire who hasn't stopped whining about his problems since he came down that golden escalator nine years ago.
He missed an opportunity, though.
Being at McDonald's, he.
Looks much more like Ronald McDonald and the clown that he actually is.
The Harris campaign is also leaning on some mega superstars in these final few weeks, including Eminem, who's going to be introducing Obama tonight, and Bruce Springsteen, who's going to be joining Harris and Obama later this week? The Harris campaign is really betting that these celebrities are going to help reach those voters who aren't really paying attention to this election, even though it's only a couple of weeks away, and that this is going to be able to convince them to pay attention and go to the polls.
And speaking of star power behind this campaign, you spoke with another top Harris surrogate, Mark Cuban, over the phone. You told us, and he tried in your reporting to get Vice President Harris and Elon Musk on the phone together, is that right?
Yeah. So billionaire entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban told me that he tried to set up a private meeting between Vice President Harris and Elon Musk, but he said that the Harris team declined his request because they were worried that Musk wouldn't be able to keep the conversation private. Now, he says that if Harris wins, he still thinks this meeting is worth it, that he wants to set up. Set it up because, he says it's important for Harris to hear from one of the top entrepreneurs in the country. But he was, of course, very critical of what Elon Musk has been saying. That's part of the reason why he wants this meeting to be set up, because he said, what Musk is saying about Harris, including spreading falsehoods, is flat out wrong in terms of what he's saying about the vice president. He also did have some criticism, Mark Cuban did, about Vice President Harris's view and her portrayal of herself on the trail. He said that she's not a great sales person, that it's not her strong suit.
But he said she makes up for it because she is strong on ethics, understanding, on policy for business in the country. He said all of those things makes her the best candidate and he believes she's going to win. But compared to Donald Trump, she's not as strong of a sales person. But he also did have harsh criticism for Trump, saying that he will sell, sell, sell, even if he has to lie.
Selina Wang for us at the white House. Selina, thank you as always. Turning now to the Middle East and Secretary of State Antony Blinken arriving in Israel today, the first stop on a regional tour aimed at reviving stalled ceasefire and hostage negotiations. Blinken meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the two spoke about the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, securing the release of all hostages and ending that conflict in Gaza. Blinken, also discussing Israel's plans to launch a retaliatory strike against Iran following that massive missile attack last month. Fears remaining in that region at this hour of an all out war. Yesterday, marking a deadly day in Lebanon, by the way, an Israeli airstrike killing at least 63 people and injuring over 200. That's according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Meanwhile, Hezbollah is claiming responsibility for a drone attack last week on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday residence in northern Israel, causing some damage to the structure. No one was home at the time. Netanyahu calling the attack, quote, an attempt to assassinate me and my wife.
We turn now to ABC foreign correspondent Tom Berg, live for us in Tel Aviv. And Tom, let's start with what more we know about that drone attack on that Netanyahu residence. Hezbollah now claiming responsibility. Netanyahu calls it an assassination attempt. What more is going on here?
Yes. We've learned a little bit more today, Jay, about the extent of the damage. There's some video circulating online, effectively showing an area near to Netanyahu's swimming pool at his residence in Caesarea that's in central Israel. It was on the weekend that a drone or multiple drones were fired towards that residence by Hezbollah. One of the drones actually got through, and it's seen as a major breach of Israel's multi-tiered air defenses. And, of course, you know, we've heard it multiple occasions, not only from Netanyahu but other Israeli officials accusing Hezbollah and its backer, Iran, of an assassination attempt.
And, Tom, we did mention Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Netanyahu. And it feels like you and I have talked about this over the last few days since the death of Sinwar. But with Yahya Sinwar dead. U.S. officials took that opportunity to say, now there can be this path to peace. What have we seen in the region in the last few days? Is there really a path to peace given Sinwar's death, or is Blinken bringing that up? And it's going to be a moot point with Netanyahu.
Look, I think, you know, that the sort of message from U.S. officials, including Blinken today is, you know, I think, broadly speaking, to reassure U.S. voters in the run up to the election that the U.S. is still doing everything in its power to to try and work towards peace, dial the temperature down and not forget the hostages and and think about ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon. But it's a massive bout J you know, the reality on the ground both in Lebanon and in Gaza is completely the opposite. We've got the situation escalating in terms of IDF attacks into Lebanon and also in Gaza. The IDF is mounting a very significant operation up in northern Gaza. The civilian population there has been moved out. Thousands of people. We've seen reports of heavy casualties and a very, very dire humanitarian picture where very little aid is getting into the north of Gaza. And even a smaller proportion of that aid is actually reaching those areas most in need where there is intense fighting.
And the IDF is saying that they killed the head of Hezbollah's executive council in a strike earlier this month. Tell us more about those ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Beirut and their overall goal when it comes to dismantling Hezbollah.
Yeah, well, Hashem Safieddine J was killed actually in a strike three weeks ago. And there was talk about whether he was taken out by the IDF. The IDF is now confirming that. And the reason that matters is Hashem. Safieddine was seen by many people as the successor to Hassan Nasrallah, who was obviously killed. The leader of Hezbollah about a month ago. I think look, we've seen, you know, IDF strike after IDF strike, taking out effectively the whole leadership, the almost the entire leadership of of Hezbollah. But in the last 24 hours, we've also seen a sort of new phase of the IDF campaign in Lebanon. They are now going after buildings linked to a financial organization, a kind of financial arm of Hezbollah, which the IDF accuses of funding Hezbollah's operations. We've also seen strikes near to Beirut International Airport. Pretty dramatic pictures with smoke rising still as the planes are coming and going. And we've also seen a significant Israeli strikes in the southern city of tire. So there is no sign that the IDF is letting up again.
Quite the opposite.
Tom Birch for us in Tel Aviv tonight. Tom, thank you as always. Turning now to former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, who we've now learned will be released on a $10 million bond after he and two others were arrested as part of a criminal sex trafficking investigation by the FBI and federal authorities. According to a 16 count indictment, Jeffries and his partner and a third man are accused of operating an international sex trafficking and prostitution business that recruited young men for parties in the U.S. and abroad. We turn now to ABC news senior investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky, joining us to break all of this down. And, Aaron, what more do we know? And what do we know so far, frankly, about what's in this indictment?
It's 16 charges sex trafficking and prostitution. 15 men have come forward to tell federal prosecutors that they were lured to these sex parties that Mike.
Jeffries was.
Hosting under the guise of modeling opportunities for.
Abercrombie, which.
Back in the day would have made your career. Instead, they were forced, they say, to sign non-disclosure agreements, turn in their phones, told to wear costumes and then forced to into into sex acts with Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith. They were recruited by James Jacobson, allegedly, and this went on for a period of seven years. Though the indictment only mentions 15 victims. Alleged victims, prosecutors and the FBI believe there are a lot more dozens potentially, and they've asked them to come forward. And prosecutors say if they do, if their stories check out, there could be yet more criminal charges.
Aaron Katersky for us, as always, Aaron, thank you. Sources are telling ABC news at this hour, the disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has been diagnosed with a form of bone marrow cancer. Weinstein is receiving treatment in jail for his illness, according to those same sources. His authorized legal health care representative declined to comment on the matter. The former movie mogul is currently in prison on Rikers Island amid his ongoing sexual assault trials, being prosecuted again for sex crimes in New York after his 2020 conviction was overturned on appeal. And still ahead for us at this hour. Why? Some Democrats and legal experts are calling this the litigation election. The flurry of lawsuits already being filed from Team Trump and what the Harris campaign is doing about it. Our Olivia Rubin standing by. That is next.
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Always glad you're streaming with us. Now to what some Democrats and legal experts are calling the litigation election. A flurry of legal battles already unfolding between attorneys for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris before most voters even head to the polls. One official at the RNC says it and the Trump campaign have already engaged in 130 election lawsuits across 26 states and recruited some 5000 volunteer attorneys ready to go on November 5th, an effort drawing criticism from voting experts and Democrats. Meantime, lawyers for the Harris campaign telling ABC News the Democratic National Committee, with support from the vice president's campaign, is already involved in 35 lawsuits around the country. We bring in ABC news investigative reporter Olivia Rubin joining me live to talk about all of this. Olivia, good to see you. Good to have you. And what more do we know about these lawsuits? What are the kind of lawsuits that we've already seen deployed here?
Well, Jay, a lot of these lawsuits really are targeting what ballots are ultimately going to be able to count after the election is over. And remember, they're trying to litigate this before the election even begins. So for one example, think about something you may have heard of. That is a push, if you will, against absentee ballots from those in the military and those who are overseas. We know that Republicans in a number of states have gone after those types of ballots in Pennsylvania. Specifically, they are asking the judge to let them set those ballots aside because they claim that the way that those people are registering is not appropriate. Of course, Democrats and Pennsylvania officials pushing back on that, saying they are, of course, following the law and that there is no fraud with military ballots. But that's one of the things that we are seeing. Of course, there are also a number of lawsuits alleging that non-citizens are voting in the election, that they are on the voter rolls. Most election experts push back on that.
They say there is no evidence of widespread illegal noncitizen voting. And there is, you know, one expert saying that these lawsuits are really just looking to push conspiracy theories. But when you talk to Republicans, J. They're quite excited about this effort. You know, think about 2020 when Donald Trump and his allies went to the court after the 2020 election. All of those efforts essentially were denied. Now we're seeing this aggressive push come before the 2020, excuse me, the 2024 election.
And, Olivia, we know from your reporting that at least one lawyer and a Trump ally said that Trump, as this individual phrased it, quote, learned his lesson in his failed attempts, as you noted, to challenge those results in 2020. So how is Trump potentially changed his strategy here?
Well, it's exactly what I just mentioned. The timing. We are seeing this aggressive push before the election, as that one lawyer said, you know, if you tried to go to a judge after the election and after the votes have already been cast. Good luck with any judge ruling in your favor, essentially. So what it is is this shift, this push really to go before the election. Of course, it has faced criticism, as you said at the top, from election experts saying that this is really just a misinformation and a method of voter disenfranchisement. But still, you have a bunch of experts saying this is the most litigation they have ever seen in an election cycle.
And we've got Democrats now, legal teams for them, taking an unusually aggressive posture as well, in their view, to try to push back on some of these Republican suits. What did you find?
Yeah, absolutely. J. They are saying that they are meeting the Republicans where they are and coming up with an aggressive counter strategy, like you said at the top. They have already intervened in 35 lawsuits, but it's really the planning. J. From the Democrats. That is so fascinating. We spoke to a number of lawyers directly for the Harris campaign, who described this as a years long effort from them dating back all the way to 2020 when they got together, looked at what happened in 2020 and said, hey, we've got to get ready for the next election. They said that they have thousands of pages of legal briefs already drafted ready to go. They have hundreds of attorneys in this battleground state specifically, and they are ready to meet Republicans where they are, which is in the courtroom.
Olivia Rubin for us. Olivia. Thank you, as always. Still ahead for us. How scientists in South Korea are trying to elevate your shopping experience. Literally that right after the break.
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All right. Welcome back. Wobbly wheels on a shopping cart. Well, they might be a thing of the past because researchers in South Korea, at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology, that team of South Korean scientists have developed what they're calling a flying shopping cart. It's a transport drone flying on multiple flexible rotors that can be used to carry goods over uneven surfaces, like you just saw in the previous video stairs. The teams say this is just the first step, as they hope to develop further drone technology to carry heavier items over longer distances. Our good luck to them. Much more news ahead for us right here on ABC News Live and today's big story. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in their final sprint to Election Day. How Trump is going after the vice president for staying off the campaign trail today, and how she's deploying big name surrogates and some star power to rally those undecided voters. All of that in just moments.
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Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in the final two weeks. Sprint to Election Day and bracing for legal battles. I'm Jay O'Brien in Washington in today's big story. Donald Trump set to rally voters for a second night in a row in a key swing state. How he's going after Vice President Harris for staying off the campaign trail today, as she deploys some big name surrogates and some star power in critical battleground states. And that is where we begin with our big story. Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in this final sprint to Election Day. Their closing arguments to voters now taking shape with exactly two weeks until the polls close, Trump tonight set to hold his second campaign rally in two days in the critical swing state of North Carolina. Earlier, he was in Miami participating in a roundtable with Latino leaders. There. He blasted Vice President Harris for staying off the trail. Today, she's staying here in Washington, D.C., sitting down for a series of interviews. Here's what Trump.
Said. You know, you think when you have 14 days left, you wouldn't be sleeping. She's not doing anything today. I should take one of that. We've gone 52 days in a row, and I'm going 14 more days. And we're going to have a big victory party, hopefully.
While Harris is off the trail today, her biggest surrogates are out in full force president Biden visiting campaign workers in New Hampshire, former president Bill Clinton stumping in Las Vegas and former President Obama hitting Madison, Wisconsin earlier and set to speak tonight in Detroit, introduced by a special guest, Eminem. And all of this comes, by the way, as more than 19 million Americans have already cast a ballot in early voting. And that number at this hour continues to climb. ABC's Christiane Cordero has the latest for us. Reporter.
It's the first day of early in-person voting in battleground.
Wisconsin, where.
Long lines at a high profile campaign stop show. What's at stake?
Democratic vice presidential.
Candidate Tim Walz, joined by former.
President Barack Obama to bolster.
Support for.
The top of the ticket.
America is ready to turn the page. We are ready for a better story. Wisconsin.
We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.
Our team is running like everything.
Is on the line.
Because everything is on the.
Line.
Vice President Harris is off the campaign trail today, instead sitting down for two television interviews, former President Trump meeting with Latino voters at his Miami resort, criticizing Harris for not campaigning today before reverting to his recent personal attacks about her intelligence.
I think she's grossly incompetent, and I don't want to be nice about it because we can't take a chance. Nobody knows who she is, you say? Harris. Her name is Harris. Who the hell is Harris?
Tonight, Trump rallying in Greensboro, North Carolina, where early voting.
Is well underway.
Nationwide. As of.
Monday, more.
Than 17 million people have already.
Cast their.
Ballots.
Of course, we won't know for another couple of weeks who people actually voted for. But we are seeing Republicans eating into the early voting advantage that Democrats had four years early.
And today, Bruce Springsteen announced plans to hold a Get Out the Vote concert on Thursday in Atlanta. Springsteen has endorsed Harris J.
Christiane Cordero for us. Christiane, thank you. And now we want to turn to what Democrats and some legal experts are calling the litigation election. A flurry of legal battles already unfolding between attorneys for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris before most voters even head to the polls. One official at the RNC says it and the Trump campaign have already engaged in 130 election lawsuits across 26 states and recruited some 5000 volunteer attorneys ready to go on November 5th, an effort drawing criticism from voting experts and Democrats. Lawyers for the Harris campaign telling ABC News the Democratic National Committee, with support from the vice president's campaign, is already involved in 35 lawsuits around the country. So to talk about all of this, our guest is the co-author of How to Steal a Presidential Election, Matthew Seligman, lawyer and fellow at Stanford Constitutional Center. He joins me now. Matthew, thank you so much for your time, as always. And I do want to start with this effort that we saw after the last election. I cover Congress in my day job, and we saw the Electoral Count Reform Act passed, meaning the theory was some of Donald Trump's strategies in Congress would not work again this year.
Is that true? And how potentially has the Trump campaign adapted because of the passage of that act?
Well, thanks for having me.
You're absolutely right that the Electoral Count Reform Act has strengthened the legal framework for how Congress counts electoral votes, and it's done so in a couple of ways. First, it makes.
It absolutely clear that.
The vice president has no powers to interfere in the electoral.
Count. Second, it.
Makes it.
Much.
More difficult for Congress to reject electoral votes, and ultimately puts courts, rather than politicians, in charge of determining which electoral votes are valid. Now, it's also true that there are many other parts of our election system that still have some vulnerabilities.
And so we've.
Seen a shift in emphasis from Congress and from the electoral count to states. And so prior to the governor certifying the state's electoral votes, there's a process by which votes are counted, challenges are brought, and then ultimately, those election results are certified. And we're already seeing a legal onslaught against that process in the battleground states.
And Matthew, one of the biggest issues we so often see with election lawsuits, we saw it in 2020, is determining what is a meaningful dispute that should go to court and be litigated, and what is just a lawsuit that was filed on a whim to try to kind of throw chaff into the legal process. So for folks watching at home, what should they look for to determine whether a lawsuit is a legitimate dispute or just something that is, you know, thrown together on a whim and, you know, the filing fee is paid and it just gets thrown into the court system.
Well, the first and most important thing to look at is whether the lawsuit alleges any real evidence of illegality or fraud. And so one of the trends that we've seen in the last several months is a narrative emerging that there's large numbers of noncitizens who are who are voting in our elections, and that's simply not true. Now, it's one thing to say that on a campaign trail or in a tweet, it's another thing to say that in a legal filing. And when you file a lawsuit, you have to give evidence, you have to give facts. And so in the aftermath of the 2020 election, we saw lawsuits that were dismissed by judges that were appointed by sometimes President Trump, saying that there's simply no evidence to support the vague and grand allegations of illegality and fraud. And so at the bottom line is that when these lawsuits are brought, are they being brought just to create a pretext to try to interfere with the process later on, as we saw in 2020? Or is there some actual evidence and factual basis for the allegations that are being made?
And so we've seen reporting from our investigative unit here at ABC news, our Olivia Rubin, who was just on this broadcast hour, will Steakin and our Luke Bergman that the RNC is recruiting, as you heard me say, 5000 volunteer lawyers that would be ready to go on Election Day. The Harris campaign is preparing their own legal strategy to debunk these claims in court. Where do you see the most legal challenges piling up? On what particular issue do you see there to be the most legal clashes, potentially.
Election disputes in court really center around historically two issues. The first is who gets to vote, whether the person who cast a ballot was an eligible voter or not. And the second is how people vote. And many of these disputes now center around things like mail in ballots, which millions of Americans use in order to vote more easily or drop boxes. And so much of the litigation is going to focus on those two types of issues. And.
Well, firstly, so.
What we'll see is after the election, we'll see lawsuits that are, that are brought about these two issues about who can vote and how they can vote. We're also seeing a third type of lawsuit now challenging who and how the results are certified. This is supposed to be just a a legal checkbox, but as we've seen already, the those who would try to subvert our elections are already trying to make it so. Politicians rather than courts can determine whether the result should be certified or not.
So in that reporting from our investigative unit that I was just referencing the director for the democracy program at the Brennan Center, which is a nonprofit, said to our team that this is going to be the, quote litigation election. What do you what is your reaction when you hear that?
I think it's unfortunately accurate. I think that after the disputes that we saw in 2020, the lesson that the Republican Party and Donald Trump and his allies took wasn't that they disputed things that shouldn't have been disputed. It was instead that they didn't do it well enough that they didn't do it effectively enough. And so what we've seen is Trump and his allies have said they want to engage in lawfare, and they want to do it more effectively than they did last time. And so I think that there's every reason to expect that there will be more legal fights this time than there were last time. Now, that said, you know, the two most important facts about this election are, first, that the election system is fundamentally sound. The people who cast ballots are eligible voters, and the ballots that are counted are the lawful ballots that those eligible voters have cast. And so the results that you see in the weeks after election day are going to be the lawful and legitimate results. And then after those challenges are brought and there will be many at the end of the day, the the legal system is strong enough to be able to to withstand that assault because of legal reforms, and also just because the rule of law in America has very deep roots.
Matthew Seligman for us, don't think I didn't notice that election countdown clock you've got over your right shoulder there. Thank you so much for joining us this hour. Still ahead for us, we have our Big Story panel coming up to weigh in on what Matthew and I just talked about, those brewing legal challenges and how they could impact this election, what they have to say in just moments.
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For more now on our big Story. That potential flurry of election lawsuits and also the state of this race as the clock winds down to Election day, two weeks to go. We want to bring in our panel. Joining us today is ABC news contributor and Sirius XM radio host Mike muse, ABC news political contributor and former Democratic senator from North Dakota Heidi Heitkamp, ABC news contributor and former Republican congressman from New York John Katko, and Republican strategist and former Trump administration official Tricia McLaughlin. Welcome in all to you. John, I want to start with you, and I want to pick up where Matthew Seligman and I just left off this potential flurry.
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