absolutely need it. flu in particular is on the upswing. rsv may have reached a peak. but folks in the public health world are disappointed how many got the vaccine over 60%. we're showing you emergency didn't visits. covid is still the highest, but flu is coming up strong. >> what does this mean for folks who get so sick they have to go the manager room. >> there is a concern. and we're hearing about i. we know the icus and crs are fall. even now we've got these two respiratory viruses but we're adding covid on top of that. so each as we're returned to

prepandemic levels, it could overwhelm the health care system. "cnn this morning" continues right now. they're poisoning the blood of our country. that's what they've done. they've poison abouting mental institutions and prisons a all over the world, not just in south america or three or four countries we're thinking, but awe oil the world they're pouring into our country. well, good morning, everyone. former president donald trump is escalated his longtime anti-rhetoric as he hits the campaign level. the white house is calling fascist. >> speaking of the white house, the white house and the senate, their negotiators are racing to try to reach a deal on immigration and southern border policy with aid for ukraine and israel hanging in the balance. >> and right now defense secretary lloyd austin is in israel as they scale back to

protect civilians. "cnn this morning" starts right now. and here's where we begin this hour with defense secretary lloyd austin in israel as the public divide continues to grow between president biden and the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu who specifically over the number of casualties of civilians in gaza. he's visiting to try to get a much clearer sense about their military operations including how they're assessing the heavy campaign in gaza and the method they're using to try to transition toward a precise phase. also this morning tisraelis showing a tunnel that's been built. it expands 2.5 miles and is

testing flooding tums with s seawater. let's get straight to jeremy diamond in tel aviv. do we have any sense whether they will have any influence or leverage to change the direction where this conflict is headed? >> israeli officials know they simply cannot ignore the pressure coming from the united states. they can't ignore the advice coming from the united states. so they have to look at the next phase and how quickly it will come with their american partners. united states is israel's top provider of security assistance, weapons and munmunitions. thigh have to prepare for the war in gaza and the possibility of a widening war in the north with hezbollah and lebanon.

today the u.s. secretary is meeting. what he's going to to be looking for is for specific assurances and milestones of what kind of progress they feel they need to make before they can transition to a less intense phase of the campaign, one that's not going to look like what it does now with extensive bombing of gaza, an all-out ground offensive, and instead transferring to something to go after senior hamas commanders. it's interesting. the last time the secretary of defense was here was two months ago. i spoke to him on a tar pack of the and i asked him what about the cash yultds and how they would be used. he talked about israel and he

said he's confident they would do the right thing. but now amid the continuing to mount civilian calgary death toll it,'s preparing to to provide significant support over the coming weeks. the death toll around 20,000 now in gaza. tell us about the new video. they discovered one of the biggest hamas tunnels yet. >> yeah. it is the biggest tunnel that israel has discovered in the gaza strip since october 7th. unlike other tunnels, this can have vehicles go through it. the military says you could drive a large vehicle through it. that may very well have been the purpose of this tunnel. there are electronics, eventual lakers communications systems throughout the tunnel.

it's about 2 1/2 miles and it merges at one of the key crossing points between israel and gaza. it's is where the hamas military carried out they're deadly attacks. they're discovering more of these. they say they have hundreds of these miles of tunnels that continue to pose is significant. they're discob covering more as they go ahim. donald trump has been amping up his rhetoric on the campaign trail with a few weeks left before the iowa caucus. trump told the crowd the immigrants were, quote,

poisonpoison enning the crowd of our country. >> take a look at this. this was the scene in eagle pass, texas, yesterday. it is just one of the areas where thousands of migrants have been crossing and really overwhelming border control. the agency is shutting down a rail rey border crossing. remember a couple of years ago we with saw that with arizona. we've got a team of krojts all focused on that this morning. let's again with omar jiminez in new york. what is his response frmgts. >> he's doubling down. i think what we saw this weekend really gave a cheer indication of what his campaigning is going

to look like in this file stretch. i talked about migrate grants poisoning the blood of the country. chris christie said what a lot of people have said. trump is blowing as do whistle to a lot of people blaming the very real troubles with the economy or things that may have been driven from other parts of the world. if you remember, this is like 2016 when trump had the build-the-wall campaign. he clearly thinks it's going to work. it's something we're going to have to soo. >> whether subtle or new, he claims it's effective. when you look at what's

happening on the border, what happens? what are we seeing right now? >> well, you know, here's the thing. the biden administration is responding to the current surge by closing ports of entry and now even railway crossings. and what they're doing is processing them. here's what's notable. this stops or interrupted legal trade or travel but the illegal crossing continues. you're looking at it on your screen right now. these are things are happening. eagle pass is an example. the revenue from the legal crossings in that town make up about 50% of the city's budget.

that closure starting about three weeks ago. very frustrated with the biden administration about that closure. in arizona, we're seeing the same game. as you know the arizona governor katie hobbs has been expressing herself. we saw that closed last week. it was actually being used as a waiting area for migrants that were being tlans point. that governor is saying its hurts her economy, the trade this that stain here's the crux of it. she said this creates border security gaps. what this means is while border

patrol ajejtss are busy with these thousands of migrants crossing into the southern border every single day, they can't be out. where they could be crossing individuals with criminal pasts or crossing drugs into the united states. i talked to the u.s. border patrol chief jason owens about a week ago about this and he expressed his frustration about this. he said his agency is overwhelmed and he said that criminal organizations take advantage of border surges like this to cross drugs into the united states. and so like you said, none of this is happening in a vacuum. i'll mention one last thing. here in the state of texas, governor greg abbott is alike with the hard-lime immigration poll seaed. tonight he's expected to psych

s b4. it's one of the most aggressive bills pass in. it makes its a crime to enter. this is going to leeds to racial profiling in the state. again, it's not happening in a vacuum. states like texas and governor abbott capitalizing on all that. speaking of the federal government let's get to lauren fox on capitol hill. if you ask lindsey graham, all thought is lost on the dole. is that true? >> intereteresting.

senator chris murphy, senator kyrsten sinema both uwere on capitol hill. they both said we don't have any special announce management. we are making progress, but this is really hard to do. despite the fact they bleenk they can continue having these conversations, the chances that they have a deal, that they can write this and communicate it with their members and be ready top voin pie temperature end of the week. there are a lot of republican senators sounding the alarm that this is something they pause on and could come back in january to len. >> the bottom line is we feel like we're being jamged.

we're not anywhere close to a deal. it will go next year with the policy choice ts that the biden administration has made a dplac to come to. >> there wither 15 senators who cents a liter. last night senator lankford said he thought it wuts real willistic to have that conference in january because he's sig nnaling it's going to happen. how much they owe and whether you see any of that money. >> right now millions across the area experiencing the threat of your honoror p pours. the flflooding, ththat e ee co

that's's next.

this morning a storm traveling up the eastern seaboard will reach peak strength. right now the storm is bringing

northeasterly conditions. new york city is under a flood watch until at least 5:00 p.m. new video shows cars straended on the turnpike. at least 200,000 people are without power. polo sandoval is live in new york. you look wet. it's been raining and windy throughout the course of the morning. in terms of flooding, where is it happening right now? >> we were dry. it shows how fast everything can go. it's everything the forecasters expected. the rain, the flooding, and the heavy winds that we've been skieszing. they were intense most during the overnight hours. you can see the american flag in

the distance. we are seeing the school buses running, the new york city subway running as close to normal as possible. but the verrazzano links the brooklyn and others temporarily. there is hope that those winds, the rain will begin to die minnish throughout the morning. for the morning commute for many people on this monday morning, it's treacherous. >> for everybody's sake, stay safe. the wind-swept hair, it does look good, i will grant you that. >> phil is slightly envious of that. the airlines are getting a fine. it's the biggest civil penalty.

this coming about a year after these issues began for southwest, the debacle resulting in 17,000 flight cancellations that left mar than 2 million dlrlgs. they're being fined for numerous violations. failure to refund them and not refund them fast enough. the chair of the republican parties has been stripped. his pay now $1. the details surrounding that sen church and right now a manhunt is underway. 30-year-old robert yancey jr. managed to escape yesterday afternoon. >> he's serving a life sentence for continuously sexually abusing a child. he was last seen with a white

versa. officials say if you see him, do not approach. just contactct law enforcememen righght away. we'll be r right back.k.

well, this morning the florida republican party has reportedly censured its chair due to rape. they stripped him of all authority. he has not been charged with a crime. he maintains his innocence. what can you tell us about this incident? >> reporter: well, poppy, good morning. we know state party officials are going to meet in early january to remove zeigler from his position chlg they say nothing is going to change their minds. they believe he has to go. as you noughted. the parts stripped zeigler of his duties and his salaries in a meeting where we're told zeigler

tried to apolapologize. over the wecht there were talks he was going to try to get a buyout. zeigler told me it's 100% a lie. they want christian zeigler out on his own. zeigler himself has been under investigation in october when a woman told the sarasota police department the man raped her after a deal fell through. the woman told police she canceled on that. bridget could not attend, but christian still showed up in her home in sarasota where the

alleged assault was consensual. here, why everyone is describing it as czeeg literature has to g. >> you cannot lead the republican party with the charges in front of him and the admissions he's made in the affidavits. you cannot moral hay ll. we wish him well in his legal battle. he needs to lead it in the political process. >> reporter: as for brijts zeigler, she, too, has refused calls to step down from the sayreair sew ta school board. she's given no indication she's going to do just that. possibly and phil, one final

note. she's not been accused of anything criminal. she did say she had one sexual encounter with christian, her husband, and this woman over a year ago. the mistake and malfunction after three israelis were shot by thehe militarary. stay with h us.

this just in, oil giant bp

will pause sending any ships through the red sea after a series of attacks including in the last 24 hours on commercial vessels. >> it's the latest. natasha bertrand joins us now. it was, i think, two weeks ago where jake sullivan said workers were working together try to put together an interactional task force. what are we learning? >>. >> that's what lloyd austin is going to be discussing with his counterpart this week because of the attacks. houthis have been attacking ships on the red sea. bp, the latest company to pause all of is operations in the red see. just this morning we saw the "uss carney," which is navy rye

spo responder -- respond. over the weekend the carney also responded to attacks by 14 drones targeting a vez el there, and so these atodaying really -- according to them. bp, the fourth major company to pause operations here. obviously it's go ing to have a major impact on international commerce and the company said in a statement, quote, it has decided to temporarily pause its trap sit but kite it under ongoing rue. we'll see if the secretary of defensemanages to get anymore. >> thanks for the reporting.

>> this morning the defense forces shot and killed three israeli hostages taken by hamas. the three hostages were identified as samer talalka, alon shamriz, and yotam high yemini. over the weekend the three men were mistaken for dlets. their deaths are in violation of the military rules of engagement and they're calling for more of a truce. >> here's the concept of it. it coulds as they're trying to free more than 100 hostages. among them, relgtives. they have confirmed the two brothers were kidnapped from their kibbutz on october 7th. he was taken with his daughter's proi friend.

they believe ellie was taken before his wife and two daughters wither kissed in the masser can. they're joining us now. thank you. you're watching them on your chest. as i understand it they're not only close to you, but they're like parents to you. >> yeah, they are. >> what do you want us to know about them this morning? >> just how special they are and how much we wait for them to come home. he and his wife and three daughters, they saw the terrorists kidnap him like in front of their eyes, and they

called us like october 7th at night to tell us that yosi was taken and another was taken along with a 16-year-old boy. yosi was trying to hold the handle of the satife room, but e terrorists broke into the safe room and they took all of them out after they shot their dog. they put them on the grass and out of their house and they put yosi and the other and the small

boy this in a car and drove away into gaza so fast. uval, she's like yosi's daughter, she managed to say to her boyfriend that she loves him with tears in their eyes. they took him and he came back to us. and at the same time, with eli's family, we got like after a couple of days, we got a notice about lion. she's eli's wife. she was textings that they never experienced anything like it and they were never so afraid in

their lives. >> the family over the course of this period of time, a period where there were hostages released, more than 100, a lot of hope, and a period like in the course of the last several days, we saw hostages tragically killed. what goes through the family's minds in this moment? >> i think we're scared for their life all the time. they're like inside a battlefield. so they -- they should. be there. they should be at home with my family. we already lost three beautiful family members, biana and her two daughters, eli's family. and so now i'm his closest

family, and i'm supposed to be at home with my family grieving about the ones we have lost. but instead i had to cork all the way to new york, far away from home, to try to explain to the world why they should sup support. i miss all the family. it's been very hard. it's unbelievable we have to explain ourselves even. yeah. >> it's the strength to get the messages out, which is so important. we appreciate it. our condolences for family and friends that have been lost, but certainly thank you for coming on and talking. a very difficult time. >> thank you for inviting me.

>> insure. also a new poll nikki haley is movining intoto the primary feign. that's nexext.

loving this pay bump in our allowance. wonder where mom and dad got the extra money? maybe they won the lottery? maybe they inherited a fortune? maybe buried treasure? maybe it fell off a truck? maybe they heard that xfinity customers can save hundreds when they buy one unlimted line and get one free. now i can buy that electric scooter! i'm starting a private-equity fund that specializes in midcap. you do you. visit xfinitymobile.com today. the highly respected prime minister of hungary says trump is the man who can save the western world. but even vladimir putin -- has anybody heard of vladimir putin? of russia says this is a

politically personal persecution of a political rival. donald trump over the weekend praising dictators. he called kim jong-un, quote, very nice. >> that was a lead-in i know you all dreamed of. let's talk about despots and others. that type of stuff, which i think -- it makes people like us say, hell, man, that's a mess, nobody would ever do that before. what does it -- when you talk to voters, does that -- >> i think the rhett rick has esca escalated. when you talk about immigrants

poisoning the blood of the whistle, these are dog whistles that as was said are no locker dog whistles. it matches up the policy. it's not just rhetoric coming from 2024. they have putz people in place, thinking about ways to weapon side military. they're matching the words how he can circum vending political former norms but looking to minute m mimic their actions. >> i think about what paul ryan just said, goinger than he that's. he says trump is a local

authoritarian narcissist. what do you see? >> they see trump as inevitable. they want some future in which they know trump will benefit. the quotes with heard at the tom here,ist. the fact that he does, they even been a thflow-through. he read that quote from putin in the tell coulter. that's now a standard part of his dump speech. it's dangerous. anything representing the republicans in the reagan area,

ilts women free trade. that's gorp. it's swg doing the exact opposite. that should make someone want to wake up and say stop. >> you hecht the key point here. there's policy bheenld it. there are people back in 2016. now there's a full team, outside groups that are building out what he's talking about here. what i think is so fascinating. that's all happening. there's poll so in. he's still out there. we need to fits out kay -- figu

things out. how do we do that? >> because of the fact there's rhett timg and pom sip that became clear. donald trump would be unacceptable to so many people, it would make him less over a fe fehred object. it has. borne out to be true. people are not seeing president biden this way. i think it strikes a couple of things the white house assumed. if they pass, the legislation, people will come around. it speaks to the fact his biggest liability, age, is something he can to anymore. that's something you can't fix. >> why were you lapping about good policies is not fwools poo

good ti good. it's huge. >> we'll see if he gets something done on the border. those things need to be done, but they also need to be sold so that they stick in people's minds and right now i think part of prop isn't that much. ed a p inflation rated people took for franltded. a lot of his campaign has been positive. you look at the leadership on ukraine, but folks who feel the price is not coming down fast that can seem theoretical. and the lack of enthusiasm about a second term is a real problem, despite that record of accomplishment. and the "new york" magazine just called it the alarming calmness of the biden campaign. i don't think that's sufficient, given the stakes of the race. >> one last one on that point,

the trajectory of inflation has been steadily accelerating. and trajectory matters. if you look at reagan in '82 versus '84, inflation was still high in '84, but the trajectory is what people locked into it. do you think that matters? >> i think it could. i think the biden campaign's reality is when the stakes become more clear. if donald trump becomes confirmed as the republican nominee, all of those lagging indicators will come back around to them. that's why they're calm right now, even though the evidence would point to that being maybe a risky bet. >> thank you, as always, appreciate it very much. well, new details surrounding the death of matthew perry and the controlled substance he had in his system, but new concerns this morning about ketamine. that's ahead.

well, in this 2022 memoir,

matthew perry described taking ketamine as being hit in the heavy with a giant happy shovel, but added that the hangover was rush. the drug back in the spotlight after an autopsy report shows that the "friends" star died as a result of the acute effects of ketamine and subsequent drowning. he was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home. he was reported to be getting ketamine infusion therapy for depression. >> studies found that the drug has promising results in treating the condition. ketamine has medical and surgical uses as an anesthetic and also known as a recreation drug. he wrote about his ketamine therapy in his book, writing, it can also have a short duration and hallucinatory and psychedelic effects. he wrote, as i lay there in the pitch dark, i would

disassociate, i would see things. there's a horse over there? fine, might as well be. perry's last known treatment of this was about a week and a half before he died, according to the autopsy. joining us now is physician and assistant professor of health policy at weil cornell medicine, dr. drew curharr. the question is, a week and a half before he dies, could the lasting effects of that have killed him? >> it would not have contributed to his death. ketamine was a drug developed in the 1960s for the purpose of anesthesia and it's still used for that indication. it has recently had increasing problems for people with serious mental health problems, anxiety, depression, ptsd, even suicidal ideation. in 2019, the fda approved the first version of ketamine for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. a nasal spray that's supposed to be taken under medical supervision. ketamine lasts for only a few hours in the body. if he would have taken it a week and a half before, it would not

have contributed to his passing. the thought is he had either been prescribed or taken a large dose of ketamine on the day that he passed and that's what contributed to his death. >> can you explain to people who maybe aren't familiar with ketamine becoming fda approved and the usage it for, how that came to be? >> it was initially developed as an they can. it's still used for that purpose. over time, people have been trying to use it for other indications. people have found a lot of relief in some cases for depression, for anxiety, for ptsd. and it has been fda approved, but all other indications for it are actually off-label. only the spray is to be used for mental health purposes. scientists and researchers are using it for other reasons. the other thing that's really important to note is that it does have hallucinogenic properties, psychedelic properties, it can create out of b body experiences, can create euphoria, and that's the reason it's often taken recreational. fortunately, it's very rare that people have an overdose on

ketamine, but with extremely high levels, it can cause respiratory depression, very high blood pressure, very high heart rate and unconsciousness. in matthew perry's case, unfortunately, he had levels that are generally used for general anesthesia. so the thought is he may have passed out and then drowned in the hot tub. >> if people watching are being treated for severe depression with ketamine therapy, what do they need to know this morning? should they be scared, or is this safe as long as you do it the way your doctor prescribes? >> the most important thing is to do it under medical supervision. ketamine is thought to be a relatively safe drug. every drug has side effects, particularly if you're taking it off label or without a doctor's supervision, you can run into some of these problems. the issue here seems to be that there's a lot of concern over the past couple of years that there are private companies, there are telehealth companies

that are selling lozenges, tablets, different versions of ketamine to the general public, and that can be dangerous. the fda has issued an advisory back in october that says that these compounded versions of ketamine should not be used by the general public, unless you're doing it under medical supervision. >> yeah, important reminder, important warning to folks as well. doctor, thank you. appreciate it. >> thanks for having me. "cnn this morning" continues right now. everything that's led up to that attack and to the failures of the israelis to protect is down prime minister. and he's the only person who refuses to accept direct responsibility. there's a mounting amount of pressure on netanyahu to resign. should he resign now or after the war is over? it seems to me when this war is over, he will be facing his day of reckoning with the israeli public.