we need one, not two. we will hear from the former president today. as we have been talking about all morning long, a sense of frustration and flailing from his campaign. they have simply not adjusted to vice president harris being on the top of the ticket. he went out there last week. didn't go well. he takes a try today. >> some will announce that the campaign is going. he's replacing them. the only thing he can do to help himself in this race is to replace the candidate, him. >> and that seems unlikely. most of all this morning, it was nice to reunite the reverend al sharpton with the director lee daniels. >> we didn't a deliverance. >> all right, rev. thanks, everybody. we will see you back here tomorrow morning. anna cabrera picks up the coverage right now. right now on "ana cabrera reports," we're following breaking news out of hollywood. an arrest just made in

connection with the ketamine overdose death of "friends" star matthew perry. more on the lapd probe. also ahead, the race for the white house. the president and vice president appear together today, their first official white house event since the campaign shake-up. this as donald trump holds another press conference today. and the two vp contenders trade jabs on the trail. also ahead, her cain ernesto bearing down on bermuda after causing widespread power outages in puerto rico. the latest on the storm's track. ♪♪ good morning. it is 10:00 eastern. i'm ana cabrera. we begin with breaking news this morning. an arrest just made in connection with the overdose death of "friends" star matthew perry. perry was found dead in his home

at his pool in his home last october. the los angeles medical examiner attributed his death to the effects of ketamine. joining us now, steve patterson from los angeles, ken dilanian, former prosecutor and legal analyst and eric degans, tv critic for npr. steve, give us the very latest. this news is just breaking right now. what do we know? >> just breaking, our news room is taking it in as we speak. but, yes, law enforcement sources telling nbc news that at least one arrest was made in connection to this overdose death of matthew perry. perry, of course, again found dead at his home in a hot tub in pacific palisades in october of 2023. 10 months since then, there has been there wide-ranging federal investigation. lapd, dea, u.s. postal service, all headed by the u.s.

attorney's office to get to the bottom of how this happened. this questions would have been, were there any drug dealers in connection to this? were there any doctors that prescribed this in connection to his death? were his friends facilitating this in some way. all of that sort of the source, the trigger of the investigation. but what we know how, what we have confirmed, at least one arrest in connection. we should learn more from the u.s. attorney's office perhaps later on this morning in connection with this. but for now that's what we have confirmed. of course, our news team is working to confirm more details as this is breaking just a few minutes ago. >> again, at least one person arrested in connection with the overdose death involving matthew perry last october. do we know, could more arrests still be coming? >> absolutely. more arrests certainly possible. in fact, law enforcement sources likely to be continuing this investigation this morning. there was a huge dragnet all over l.a. county.

so there is the high possibility that there will be more. again, all we have confirmed right now is the one in connection with this. but we should again learn more from the u.s. attorney's office as the investigation continues this morning. >> l.a. police say they were working with federal authorities. again, federal, local. what more can you tell us about the scope of this investigation? >> well, ana, the drug enforcement administration has made a point in recent years of trying to get to the source when people die of an overdose and try to trace where those drugs came from and hold the dealer accountable, even though in this case and in other cases, the death of matthew perry was not ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, it was ruled accidental. there still may be and will be criminal liability if he was provided this ketamine illegally. lest we think it is just celebrities that get this treatment, the federal drug administration has been doing this all over the country with all kinds of people. when people die of an overdose, they send a special team in. they get into their phones.

they trace back where the drugs came from. as steve said, the postal inspectors are also involved because sometimes the drugs went through the mail. this has been a priority of the biden administration because a lot of people are dying, mostly of fentanyl drug overdoses, and there is a growing call for accountability. this is one way the federal government is trying to provide it. >> at the time, we had learned that matthew perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy to treat anxiety and depression. the medical examiner said he had received the last treatment about a week and a half before his death. and, so, it was especially odd that his levels of ketamine in his system were so high. they said it was the equivalent to the amount used for general anesthesia during surgery, according to the medical examiner, which is really, i think, what triggered this larger investigation. kristin, we don't have the details on potential charges

just yet, but what would you expect? >> well, i would expect any type of charges involving involuntary manslaughter because we have a negligent and reckless actions that could be made out that would lead to his death. it could also be prescription fraud. if there was some indication that the doctor or some other individual falsified the ketamine. it suggests he got it in some unlawful or non-prescribed way. there could be criminal negligence, some type of drug delivery resulting in death, unlawful distribution of controlled substances. so there could be a number of things. we saw this with michael jackson and other high-profile cases where the doctor was actually convicted of involuntary manslaughter for michael jackson's death. we see this consistently throughout. and not just the doctors, but also, as steve pointed out, any individual who would be related to providing this unlawfully

obtained ketamine to matthew perry. we saw this where the drugs were actually laced with fentanyl. the other thing that i think is really important in this case is one thing that may complicate the charges or even specifically the prosecution will be the fact that matthew perry, yes, there was an indication that there was a high amount of ketamine in his system, but we also have to remember that his death was the result of drowning. so the drowning will complicate things from a legal perspective. however, if the prosecution can make out the case that the ketamine incapacitated him, then it strengthening their argument. but it is a tough case legally. >> again his death was ruled an accident, not a homicide here, with the ketamine overdose listed as the primary cause of death with death, drowning, coronary artery disease and the

effects of a drug used to treat opoid use disorder, also found in his system. those were considered contributing causes. eric, obviously perry's death was really overwhelming, both from hollywood and as fans learned. he was a beloved figure. what is your reaction to this arrest? >> well, i think fans who were devastated to learn of his death may find some solace in seeing people who are accused of helping contribute to that death held accountable. and i certainly think that there was a feeling among fans and people who had tracked matthew perry's career that they were hoping there was some way to find out exactly what happened to him and hold anyone accountable who needed to be. he had a longstanding struggle with addiction, and had written about it in a best-selling mémoire and was also actively

involved in different ways in trying to help people who had their own problems with addiction. and, so, to hear that he passed away in the way that he did i think was a blow to fans who had hoped that maybe he had emerged on the other side of his struggles with addiction. and, again, this idea that someone might be held accountable for that death, i think people will -- will be encouraged to hear that. >> it was so sad to hear about his death, especially knowing how he had struggled and it seemed to overcome. had been clean for 19 months according to the medical examiner's report prior to his death. we don't know who was arrested exactly, but you mentioned michael jackson as one of the examples we have seen before with celebrities and those in charge of helping to care for them ultimately being held responsible for their deaths in a court of law. but how do you go from an accidental death to somebody being charged with involuntary

manslaughter, as was the case in the doctor who was treating michael jackson? >> keep in mind that the death certificate is something that is specifically defined by the m.e. and not necessarily a legal professional. so even though the cause of death can be seen as an accident because of the drowning, because of other elements, that doesn't negate the intent, the criminal negligence or the criminal recklessness that could come along with the contributing factors that led to the medically deemed accidental death. in other words, ana, just because it says accidental from a medical perspective does not mean it negates any type of criminal liability that can be attached to any charges. >> so what has to be proven then? >> so if there is involuntary manslaughter, specifically at the state california level, they have to show that someone's innocent or reckless actions led to another person's death. and that could be providing him with ketamine or providing him

with a specific amount of ketamine dose that could incap tate to the point of death. he was taking ketamine infusions because of anxiety and depression. but if he was not getting that infusion in a medically prescribed facility where they were going to be able to monitor how much he received as well as monitor his condition before and after, well, then there is a potential for some type of criminal negligence related to it or prescription fraud, which would apply if the doctor or some other medical professional falsified the prescription or issued it to matthew perry without a legitimate medical purpose. again, even though he was receiving the ketamine-infused medication, if it was not in a medically legitimate way, that could also constitute some type

of criminal liability. and then, of course, if it's a controlled substance, there could also be conspiracy charges if, in fact, they find that the doctor worked with some type of, you know, prescription mill and allowed the unlawful distribution of these normally prescribed medications. so there could be all sorts of controlled substance act violations that would attach as well. >> and according to the medical examiner's report, at least two doctors were treating perry at the time of his death, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist that served as his primary care physician. as we get more information about who is arrested and the potential charges they're facing, what are you going to be looking for? >> ana, whether there is a conspiracy alleged here, whether there was a network of people, you know, i covered a case where the drug enforcement administration unravelled a

single overdose death of a young mother and ended up arresting a network of people imports fentanyl into the washington, d.c. area. that's the kind of thing that could happen in these cases. they have tentacles. generally there is distribution networks that get unravelled. how big, how far does this case go? >> thank you. and, of course, we will continue to bring our viewers updates as we get more information. also ahead for us, the race for the white house. harris and biden together again for the first official events. and she took his spot on the top of the 2024 ticket. also ahead, hurricane ernesto now barrelling down on bermuda and leaving hundreds of thousands in the dark in puerto rico. we are tracking this storm. plus, new lower costs just announced for ten highly used but high-cost drugs. from blood thinners to diabetes medications. i'll speak with senator amy

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trump will hold another press event after the last one failed to really jolt the campaign narrative and even prompted allies to beg him to deliver a more disciplined message. and in just minutes, trump's running mate, jd vance will stop in pennsylvania as he once again is under scrutiny for his stance on women and families. vaughn hillyard is covering the trump campaign. gabe gutierrez is joining us from the white house. david jolly and danielle moody. vaughn, this trump event today comes after what was meant to be an economy-focused speech yesterday. at least that's what the expectation was from his team where he, again, seemed to veer offtrack. >> right, ana. we're here down the road from his bedminister club ahead of what we anticipate and what the campaign has called and billed a press conference at 4:30 p.m.

eastern this afternoon that we plan on attending here. but last night you noted in ashville, north carolina, this was an event that the campaign wanted to come across as an address on the economy, not a rally. even though it looked much like a rally and, of course, this comes after more than three weeks in which the campaign and donald trump have struggled or willfully chosen not to stick to any direct theme or messmessage. that is where last night donald trump took the stage in this economic address. one of the things he said is that he and his campaign team, the economy is the most important issue but that he was not so sure about that. i want to let you listen to one of the tangents he went on about his running opponent, kamala harris. >> for nearly four years, kamala has crackled as the american economy has burned. what happened to her laugh? i haven't heard that laugh in about a week. that's why they keep her off the stage. that's why she's disappeared.

that's the laugh of a crazy person, i will tell you. it's crazy. she's crazy. >> this all comes at a time, ana, in which in battleground states over the course of the last month, the polls have all flipped in favor of kamala harris, and donald trump and his campaign are well aware that these polls have given her a boost at a time in which we find ourselves just two and a half months away from the critical election. so those trump events will be later today. but his running mate, jd vance, is expected to speak any moment in pennsylvania. and his stance on women and families, again, making headlines. walk us through the latest flair-up there. >> yes. there have been comments jd vance made before he was running for public office that come under scrutiny from childless cat ladies to some of his comments on abortion. in the last few moments, there was a speech that we were just

listening back to that he delivered in 2021 at the clairemont issue where he made the case that states were in favor of abortion rights because they wanted workers to be able to have abortions so they could pull from a cheaper labor workforce pool. these were the words of jd vance that he was contending as to why corporations were in favor of abortion rights. i want to let you listen to another podcast that he was on in 2020 in which there was another interesting conversation about family. take a listen. >> but it makes him a much better human being to have exposure to his grandparents. >> well, i don't know -- >> and the evidence on this, by the way, is like super clear. >> that's the purpose of the post menopausal female. let me ask you a question. >> sure. >> when your child was born, did your in-laws and particularly your mother-in-law show up in

some huge way? >> she lived with us for a year. >> right. >> that was weird unadvertised feature of marrying an indian woman. it is in some ways the most transgressive thing i have done against the hyper liberal approach to work and family. >> after listening to that exchange from a 2020 podcast, i want to let you look at a statement that just came out here from a vance spokesperson who writes in part, quote, the media is dishonestly putting words in jd's mouth. of course he does not agree with what the host said. jd reacted to the first part of the host's sentence saying, that is the purpose of spending time with grandparents. jd was complimenting the selflessness of his mother-in-law to be willing to care for her grandchildren. millions of grandparents across the country do the same every day. >> as for the event involving the president and vice president today, what is the thinking behind this joint appearance and the timing just a few days

before they will be at the dnc. >> as you said, this is an official and not a campaign event, but it is clearly meant to highlight vice president kamala harris side by side with the president and also highlighting the accomplishments of the biden administration as a whole. this event this afternoon will discuss and they will deliver remarks about these negotiated drug prices that are expected to save, according to the white house, medicare $1.5 billion the first year. now, the changes don't go into effect until 2026. but they are expected to highlight how this administration has been putting a focus on the economy and lowering drug costs for americans. some of those drugs, certainly drugs that voters might be glad to hear that the drug prices are being lowered. and this comes as the first time the federal government has ever negotiated these drug prices as part of the inflation reduction

act, which, of course, vice president harris cast a tie breaking vote in the senate. again, this is an effort to show the unity between vice president harris and president biden even at a time when former vice president trump is trying to further the narrative that she wants nothing to do with the president. so the event today, an official event. tomorrow she will be in battleground north carolina for a campaign event, rolling out more of her economic platform. ana? >> thanks for the reporting. so, danielle, let's pick up where gabe left off. harris has a delicate dance to do right now where she wants to amplify her experience as vice president. but at the same time, try to distance herself from aspects of the biden administration that may be unpopular. right? how does she navigate that? >> the parts of the biden administration that are incredibly popular is the economy. this economy that they inherited was in the tank because of donald trump. >> but why is donald trump

winning on that issue when you look at the polls and voters? >> when we say winning at that issue, it is a narrative being pushed by republicans that benefit from having a republican in the white house. the country does not. when we see that historically when we look at the numbers, we see every single republican president that has come into the office runs the economy into the ground. they do provide tax breaks for the billionaires, the ones didn't in corporate c suites and the ones that benefit from them being in the always. you see every time a democrat gets into office, they are the ones that have the shovel that are digging the country back out. joe biden and kamala harris did that very thing after donald trump added $7 trillion to our debt in this country. 30 million people were unemployed when donald trump was in office. so you see where our economy is now. it is the envy of the world after climbing out of the global health pandemic. but the biden-harris team doesn't have anything to defend. they have everything to

celebrate as this vice president is on the campaign trail. >> yeah. that's donald trump and his allies think it's the opposite. they think they own the issue of the economy. yesterday, congressman, when trump did focus on the economy, which his allies have been begging him to do, he also down played the importance of that issue. watch. >> talking about a thing called the economy, they wanted to do a speech on the economy. a lot of people are very devastated by what's happened with inflation and all of the other things. so we're doing this as an intellectual speech. you're all intellectuals today. today we're doing it, and we're doing it right now, and it is very important. they say it is the most important subject. i think crime is there. i think the border is right there personally. we have a lot of important subjects. >> throughout the speech, he returned to his usual personal attacks, the rhetoric his allies have been trying to get him to move away from. what does that suggest about his

mind set and how he thinks he will win this race? >> donald trump is just a terrible candidate right now in contrast to vice president harris. take him at his word. he wants to be about crime, about race because that's where he feels the culture wars can ignite a campaign in free fall. if he has an insight to why the economy is not great, danielle is exactly right. joe biden and vice president harris today will play offense on the economy. the united states has had a stronger recovery coming out of the pandemic than any country in the world. more people went to work this morning than ever before in u.s. history. inflation is coming down and wages are going up. housing remains at historic highs. access to health care, access to education, all of the metrics in the united states are great. and remarkably, what we're seeing is this -- the lag on joe biden's numbers were really around this personal concern about his age and his fitness.

but with that removed, one of the reasons you see vice president harris doing so well is because american voters have confidence we are going in the right direction. so this is an issue to play offense on if you are harris right now. and i think maybe trump feels that. he also knows nothing is working. the economy is not working for him. immigration is not working for him. he is a listless candidate right now, unable to prosecute a case against the vice president. >> jd vance, his running mate, is on defense for this conversation we keep having that he, you know, has had in the past. these remarks that are surfacing about family and women's roles. well, hillary clinton just tweeted this. quote, childless cat ladies, postmenopausal females. is the republican ticket aware that women can vote? danielle, your reaction? >> i don't think that they understand that because everything that jd vance has said, whether we're pulling up from a couple years ago or listening to him on the campaign

trail right now, everything is offensive. there is nothing that he has said good about women, right? so whether he's telling people that they need to quit their jobs, he's telling women they need to stay home, they want a 19th century role for women in america. that is just not going to play. so we're seeing this pushback now because everything that jd vance and donald trump offer is negative about women. and guess what? we're more than 50% of the population. so we will see this at the polls. it is not just about abortion, although that is a huge issue for women and people with uteruses in this country. it is about what role do you see him have? and they don't see one for us. you can see that in project 2025 and in the things that come out of their mouth. >> and historically, more women have voted on election day than men. so that is the majority of the voters. congressman, vance is in pennsylvania. this is a new poll you want to show from that key state.

harris ahead by three within the margin of error there. it tracks with the poll we saw yesterday. also ahead in pennsylvania with the margin of error. if you look deeper at this poll, the running mates, walz and vance are tied in terms of favorable views. look at it when it comes to unfavorable there. vance is 16 points underwater. part of the reason he was chosen as trump's running mate was to help the gop's chances in states like pennsylvania. is he helping? >> no. first of all, jd vance is unqualified to be president of the united states. people see that. that's the only test for a vice presidential pick. but he's also unfit to carry any message to voters, as we have seen from his continued stumbles. he's just unprepared for this moment. it was the wrong pick by donald trump. what they should do is take a microphone away from him for the next 33 days. democrats should hope he stays on the trail. every time jd talks, harris and

walz get a bump. i would say this. don't call it a honeymoon. these numbers are real. vice president harris has risen in the polls. she holds the lead. now, some things could happen. you could have a debate performance that adjusts that. you could have an intervening international event. you could have a harris stumble. at this point, vice president harris is in a commanding lead, although it is tight over donald trump. democrats will work this all the way through the finish line sprinting. this isn't a honeymoon anymore. harris leads this race over trump. >> thank you both. still to come, half a million without power in puerto rico. the damage from ernesto and where the hurricane is headed next. emerge as you. with tremfya®, most people saw 90% clearer skin at 4 months and the majority stayed clearer, at 5 years.

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million people don't have power this morning. hurricane ernesto wreaked havoc on the island's already vulnerable power system. the storm dumping ten inches of rain leaving streets flooded and high roofs tearing off their homes. bermuda is in its path. guad is live with us in bermuda. and here with us in studio, our meteorologist also tracking this storm. so, guad, what kind of preps are you seeing there? what's happening there after everything you saw in puerto rico? >> reporter: well, the national hurricane center has issued a hurricane warning for bermuda. authorities here held a press conference yesterday to begin alerting residents and making sure that all of them know they have to prepare with food and water and the usual items. now, the conversations we've had with residents on the island, they tell us they are used to

storms and they know how to prepare. but the local officials do want to make sure that they understand the severity of this storm that is making its way north towards bermuda with a lot of attention right now also focused on puerto rico where, as you mentioned, hundreds of thousands are without power. as conditions improve there today, authorities are assessing the damage. this morning, a power crisis across puerto rico from the aftermath of ernesto. the powerful storm which is a hurricane battering the island with winds up to 80 miles an hour, tearing roofs off of homes and leaving half a million people in the dark. luma energy, the private company in charge of power distribution pressed repeatedly for a time line of restoration, but offering no estimate, only telling "today". >> i can't tell you how long it will take us. we do know in certain areas that

the damage has been limited so we should be able to move fast. >> reporter: ernesto brushing the island as a tropical storm wednesday, but still dropping nearly a foot of rain. the downpours and flooded roads sweeping away cars and leading to rescues. the dam overflowing as officials say at least three major rivers burst their banks, forcing some evacuations. the storm also barrelled through the virgin islands, leaving thousands on the u.s. side in the dark. >> we want to turn on the power. we can't just turn on the power willy nilly. we have to make sure we don't electrify anybody. >> reporter: this morning, hurricane ernesto is strengthening over the atlantic with bermuda expected to begin feeling its effects as early as friday as officials warn those in its path. >> this is not the time to underestimate the power of

nature. >> reporter: now, in puerto rico, with conditions improving today, luma energy is expected to begin using its helicopters and have technicians inspect those power lines. what they said yesterday is the weather kept them from flying into remote areas to inspect power lines and make sure they weren't damaged in order to get the power up for a lot of individuals. authorities there also talked about the water shutdowns. a lot of the water plants have been damaged because of vegetation and other type of debris that has gotten stuck in the filter. they are working on reestablishing running water for people in puerto rico as luma energy works to restore power. >> thanks for bringing it all to us. stay safe as ernesto moves closer to bermuda. in the meantime, ryan hahnerjesse hahn is with us. i butched your name on the first try with us. >> this is quite a storm. this thing will get right toward bermuda, ana.

let's take a look at where it is now. puerto rico is drying out. the storm has a lot of dry air. at least for right now, it is not strengthening quickly. that will change over the next 24 hours. it is 600 miles to the south-southwest of bermuda. winds at 85 miles an hour. it is moving to the north about 13 miles an hour. here is the expected track of the storm. the national hurricane center thinks it will be a category two, close to category three status as it moves towards bermuda. a hurricane warning is in effect. certainly a possibility with ernesto moving by. it looks like a storm track just west, but that would put bermuda in the dangerous track. the last storm in bermuda was back in september 2020. it was a category two storm. from there, the storm races to the north and accelerates out to the open atatlantic.

however, it looks like it may be close enough to cause big swells and rip currents along the swell. this morning, what could be a big step to lower drug costs for americans. the biden administration announcing the results of the first ever negotiations with drug makers to lower the prices on the ten most expensive prescription drugs under medicare. drugs that target diabetes, arthritis, psoriasis and kidney disease. this deal could save seniors a billion and a half dollars in drug coasts. joining us now senator amy klobuchar. good to see you. billions we're talking, with a b. >> billions. >> what does this mean for the every day person using these prescriptions? and what could come next? i know this is just the first round. >> you know, people have been

talking about this for years, but the biden-harris administration has finally gotten it done. 20 years ago there was a sweetheart deal put in place for the pharma companies. it basically meant over 50 million seniors couldn't get better prices for drugs. now we passed a law in congress. but the biden-harris administration has taken it to another level. look at that, eloquist from $521 to a 30-day supply down to $231. think about that means for people who are trying to decide whether they fill their refrigerator or fill their prescriptions. a lot of people, especially seniors, are living on such low margins from month to month and their money has been going into the hands of these pharma companies that employed three lobbyists for every member of congress. the biden-harris administration finally said enough is enough. $1.5 billion, as you know, saved in one year alone, in one year

alone, for just these first ten drugs that are being used by 8.8 million americans. eloquist alone is 3 million americans. people who take these drugs will know exactly what this means for their pocketbook and 15 more drugs are on the way to be negotiated next year. 20 after that. 20 after that. and you are going to see enormous cost savings. >> senator, we showed the graphic with these ten drugs. hundreds of dollars for a 30-day supply cutoff. right? in some cases, thousands of dollars for the drug or psoriasis and crohn's disease. but the president and ceo of pharmaceutical research and manufacturers of america says the biden administration is using this to drive political

headlines and there are no assurances patients will see a lowered cost. what is your response to that? >> i'm out in the heartland right now, as you can see behind me. that's a real field. and you should talk to seniors there. this isn't some political game for them. they have been trying, 70% of americans, democrats, republicans and independents, have been trying to get these prices down. and it is finally happening. the pharma companies are fighting every step of the way. they have lost seven lawsuits already, including a number before republican-appointed judges. the law is on our side. congress gave them their sweetheart deal and now congress is taking it away in the biden-harris administration, which led the fight to reverse that sweetheart deal is now implementing it. so this is real stuff. this is going to happen. it is going to be enshrined in law. they lost every case and these prices will go down. they just don't want to accept the reality of it because they want to keep feeding their

pockets. >> senator, let's talk quickly about the 2024 race. jd vance has repeatedly gone after tim walz's record. i want your reaction to vance and these attacks. >> we commend jd vance for his four years of service in the marines, extraordinary. but this idea that they're going after 24 years of service from tim walz, he's one of those world kids just like i'm looking at right now, where i am right now, that decides to sign up at age 17 coming from a farm, coming from a small town and sticks with it. not for two years, not for ten years, but for 24 years, four years passed when he could have retired. decides to run for congress, heads up the veterans' committee. go for it, man. go after that service because people in the country understand the national guard. the national guard is activated at times, as tim walz was, to

serve in europe, to protect our supply chains and our assets out there. that is where his unit was sent. but oftentimes the national guard protects our homeland. not just from threats but from floods, from hurricanes, and we are thinking about those people right now in the path of hurricane ernesto, from hurricanes, from fires, from tornadoes, you name it. every state in the country knows exactly what i'm talking about, so no one is going to buy this attack on 24 years of service to the military. >> we are monitoring jd vance's event happening right now in western pennsylvania. we just showed the pictures there. those are live images. and we have just in a debate now agreed to on october 1st between the two vp contenders, tim walz and jd vance. you have known walz for years. what are you looking forward to in this debate? >> governor walz will, first of all, be himselves.

as the country as seen and minnesota has known for years, he is a blunt, get-to-work guy who actually is true to himself and true to his values. that's what you are going to see on that side of the stage. you know, he's not out there attacking cat ladies. he's out there standing up for the people of this country. and what i'm looking forward to, having seen tim debate a number of times, is that america will get to know him in another way, and that is as a ferocious warrior for the people of this country. he believes our jobs are to improve people's lives. you will see someone who will probably be the first debater who stood in 10 degree weather in a deer stand, someone who took a winless -- you have to be competitive to do this. a winless high school football team and turned them, in just a few years, to the state champions. so he's a true competitor, but he does it with a smile, and i can't wait to see that debate.

>> thank you for taking the time with us today. >> it was great to be on. >> up next, a grim milestone. palestinian authorities say the death toll in gaza reached 40,000. what we know about the high-stakes cease-fire talks happening right now in doha. plus, how much time an l.a. ballerina will face in a russian prison for so-called high treason. upset stomach iberogast indigestion iberogast bloating

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today, mediators from the u.s., israel, egypt and qatar meeting in doha for a new round of cease-fire talks. not there for these negotiations, hamas. the group accused israel of trying to stall the talks by adding new demands. this as the death toll in gaza hit a grim new milestone. 40,000 people killed according to the health ministry. raf sanchez joins us now from tel aviv. if hamas isn't participating, then is there any hope for these talks? >> ana, i would say there is hope. there is not a lot of optimism. the format of these seemingly endless negotiations has never been the israelis and hamas and were in the same room sitting on opposite sides of the negotiating table. it has always been the case each side talks to the mediator. so the fact that hamas are not physically present at this time

is not necessarily in and of itself a deal breaker. but there are not a whole lot of hopeful signs going into this. the fact that hamas isn't sending anybody, their position is, as far as they're concerned, there is nothing to talk about now. their demands are on the table, and it is up to israel to agree to them. that is not a good sign. the fact that according to foreign and u.s. officials, prime minister benjamin netanyahu continues adding new demands in between these rounds of negotiations is also not a good sign. john kirby, the spokesman for the national security council was on "morning joe" a little earlier. and he was asked realistically how optimistic we should be. take a listen. >> the things we're talking about how is how the deal would be implemented, not necessarily the deal itself, if that makes sense. so it has been hard work for all of us. we all want to see it get done. i wouldn't say that we're focused on frustration so much as we're focused on really

trying to get this to closure. >> so kirby there is saying that the focus of these talks is on the details of implementation, as opposed to the broad frame work. i will give you a couple of examples of those details, if you can call them that. one is what happens on the israel -- excuse me, the egypt-gaza border where israeli forces are currently in control. two, what happens to these check points dividing the northern and southern parts of gaza. >> ana? >> everybody is helding their breath waiting for a deal to come true. columbia's president has resigned after raf sanchez. columbia university's president has resigned after months of criticism from students, donors and members of congress about her response to protests over the war in gaza. the president faced criticism from protesters who accused her of responding too harshly by

calling in police after students took over columbia's historic hamilton hall. house republicans criticized her for not doing enough to fight antisemitism on campus, leading to that fiery congressional hearing you might remember. she is now the third ivy league president to step down in the wake of these protests. she said she was announcing this move now, to get new leadership in place before the fall semester. also breaking this morning, an l.a. ballerina just sentenced to a russian penal colony over an alleged donation. what the so-called high treason means in terms of jail time. more "ana cabrera reports" reports right after this short break. cabrera reports" reports right after this short break. i'll prepare a feast and bring them together he thought. but some refused to join him. he was heartbroken because he wanted everyone to be filled. not with food and wine, but with compassion. ♪ ♪

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she grew up in a middle class home. she was the daughter of a working mom. and she worked at mcdonald's while she got her degree. kamala harris knows what it's like to be middle class. it's why she's determined to lower health care costs and make housing more affordable. donald trump has no plan to help the middle class, just more tax cuts for billionaires. being president is about who you fight for. and she's fighting for people like you. i'm kamala harris and i approve this message.

with claritin, relieving your allergies is a walk in the park. get fast, all-day relief of your worst allergy symptoms like nasal congestion. (♪♪) live claritin clear. 12 years in a russian penal colony for treason for donating $51 to a charity supporting ukraine. that's the sentence for ksenia karelina, a russian american citizen, who was arrested last

january while visiting family near moscow. she is just the latest in a series of western citizens detained in russia amid bogus charges. overnight, president zelenskyy said his forces have now pushed deeper into russian territory. joining us now on all of this, nbc's josh lederman. let's start with the ballerina sentence to over a decade in a penal colony. what more can you tell us? >> reporter: the verdict not a surprise, but still no less devastating to this ballerina, her family and her boyfriend who said she was not even a particularly political person, didn't watch the news and had no idea her donation was going to be used against her home country. they say this money she donated to a ukrainian organization was used to buy weaponry, ammunition, and medical equipment used by the ukrainian military against russia. how much military weaponry you can buy for 50 bucks, i'm not

sure. but clearly a significant sentence of 12 years. her lawyer says she will be appealing, but they are really now looking to a potential prisoner swap, though given how long it took to negotiate the one we just saw involving evan gershkovich, it is unclear how fast that could happen. >> let's talk about what is happening in this ukraine/russia battle. president zelenskyy says his forces are pushing deeper into russia. what is the latest? >> reporter: they're on the march according to the ukrainian military. they pushed in some places as much as 20 miles or more into russian territory and they say they have now claimed a town called sudza, a population of 5,000 people before the war. it is critical because it sits at a key point for russian natural gas pipelines that go through ukraine and provide gas to much of europe. so that is the latest victory, if you will, by the ukrainians in this ongoing incursion into russian territory. the russians for their part say

they have reclaimed some of the territory that ukraine captured, but still not the majority of it and it has been well over a week now since this shocking incursion by ukrainians into russian territory. >> josh lederman, thank you for your reporting. and that does it for us this hour. i'll be back at 1:00 p.m. eastern in for chris jansing again today. thank you for being with me. for now, i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. jose diaz-balart picks up our coverage after a quick break. or. jose diaz-balart picks up our

good morning. 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m. pacific. i'm jose diaz-balart. we begin this hour with breaking news, former president donald trump's legal team has asked to delay his hush money trial sentencing until after the presidential election. joining us now, msnbc legal correspondent lisa rubin, also with us nbc news correspondent vaughn hillyard and, lisa, good morning.

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