any large indoor gatherings like going to a haunted house or a party. and also maybe give a second thought to outdoor things like hay rides with strangers. brianna. >> thank you. and our special coverage continues now with kate bolduan. >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. hello, i'm kate bolduan. thank you for joining us this hour. sobering and stunning. this is how the nation's top infectious disease expert dr. fauci is describing today and appropriately so the day the country hit and passed 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus. the united states surpassing this marker, one thought unfathomable this morning. approximately seven months after the first covid death was reported and now as we enter fall today, the nation sits in another precarious place. nearly half of all states are

reporting more cases than this time last week. eight states including previous hot spots like texas and arizona are reporting increases of more than 50%. and even after everything that we've learned about the virus, how it is transmitted, how we could keep ourselves and our neighbors safe, even with tens of thousands of americans still getting infected every day, president trump continues to pretend he doesn't know, it seems. doctors and scientists are pleading with you to be vigilant, to be careful. the president is essentially back to saying, don't worry about it. >> now we know it affects elderly people, elderly people with heart problems and other problems. if they have other problems, that is what it really affects. that's it. you know, in some states thousands of people, nobody young, below the age of 18 like nobody, it affects virtually nobody. it is an amazing thing.

>> and he yet again is wrong. in fact, dr. fauci today said that today the baseline is much too high as we head into the dangerous months ahead. which really start next week. >> what worries me the most, what worries is that in those areas of the country, which is a large country heterogenius in many ways, if you don't have the control now, as we get toward the end of september, of getting such a low percentage that it's entirely manageable. we know we could get into serious trouble if we don't do certain things. and i hope that that understanding is not going to frighten people, but will jolt them into realizing that it is within our hands to prevent that. >> those deaths are not just numbers. they are people. they're mothers and fathers,

sons and daughters. we have to remind ourselves over and over again to not lose sight of that fact. dr. sanjay gupta has a look right now at just some of what and who we have lost in the months leading up to this 200,000 americans dead. >> reporter: one year ago david was a doting father of five. and even more doting grandfather. he was enjoying retirement with the love of his life, his wife stacy. >> i could be in the kitchen washing dishes and he would come up and kiss the back of my neck, giving me chills on the back of my neck. >> reporter: on july 22nd the 79-year-old passed away in a hospital, separated from his family because of covid-19. naomi and carlos garcia, married for 24 years and as much as they loved each other, they loved two boys nathan and isaiah even more. none of them, none of us, have

even heard of covid-19 then. on july 2nd naomi was brought to the hospital, that same day without her family by her side, the 39-year-old mother of two died. 14-year-old isaiah thought standing over his mother's casket was the hardest thing he would ever do. but just two weeks later their father recovering from the virus was also hospitalized for kidney failure. on july 17th, 44-year-old carlos passed away as well. >> i didn't get to say good-bye to my mom or my dad now. and that is what hurts me the most right now. >> reporter: it was on february 29th when the first person in the united states was confirmed to have died from covid-19. and since then, these stories have been repeated more than 200,000 times. it is true that age increases the risk for death. someone who is 50 to 64 years old is 30 times more likely to die of covid-19 than an 18 to

29-year-old. for someone 65 to 74, that risk is 90 times higher. but make no mistake, there is no one who hasn't been touched somehow, some way, by covid-19. >> since he passed, at least we got to be our family and we didn't have to go an orphanage or anything. >> reporter: the compare sorisoe stunning. more died than in world war i, vietnam, iraq and afghanistan combined. we are now losing more than 800 people every day to this virus. >> more people than die from suicide or overdose or homicide or hiv. >> reporter: covid-19 is on track to be the third leading cause of death in the united states this year. just behind heart disease and cancer. and keep in mind, covid-19 is a disease we hadn't even heard of a year ago. the flu pandemic of 1918 is

probably the closest model we have to this pandemic. and in the first eight months of that year, around 75,000 people died from the flu. and again sadly already lost 200,000 lives within the first seven months of this pandemic. ultimately over the course of one year, 675,000 americans would die in that pandemic of 1918 in tragic and terrifying waves. the second would start in september of 1918 was the worst. an estimated 195,000 americans died that october alone. one influential model now estimates if we continue our actions, we could reach 378,000 deaths by january 1st. but here is the thing. we don't have to. even without a break through therapeutic or a vaccine, that same model estimates we could save around 115,000 lives by simply wearing a mask.

and preventing over 100,000 family from having to go through what isaiah, nathan, and stacy had to endure. >> he was the love of my life an i loved him. he was a part of me. and i just -- i feel lost without him. >> reporter: dr. sanjay gupta, cnn, reporting. >> thank you so much, sanjay, for that reminder of the lives behind this astonishing number that we as a country have hit today. joining me now is ann from ucla and thank you so much for being here. the country has been on the precipice of this moment for weeks now. but now hitting this tragic milestone, what does this mean to you? >> you know, this is a tragic milestone, as you said. and in the piece you just showed, sanjay gupta really demonstrated how serious this is.

200,000 people here in the united states. that is the entire city of salt lake city wiped out. montgomery, alabama, huntsville, alabama, grand rapids, michigan. wiped out. i think it is very important for us to grasp these numbers. we're almost at a million globally and 200,000 here in the united states. and while we have plateaued in many places, we've plateaued at 100 miles per hour. so we are losing many people every day and we don't have to do this. we have the tools in hand right now to save lives. we could wear mask, social distancing, hand height hygiene and avoiding crowds. this is an important most for everyone to consider how many lives have lost and how many lives we can save with what we could do right now. >> and ann, as sanjay pointed out in his analysis, this is now becoming the third leading cause

of death in the country. a disease that we have never heard of one year ago, still the president of the united states said just last night that in his view this virus affects virtually nobody. i'm not sure, after hearing him say it again, the president say it again, i'm not sure what a question is to ask other than what do you want people to do with a statement like that? >> i want people to ignore that statement. that statement is patently untrue. we know, science tells us, that this virus affects people in many ways. and just because you are young as the president would like to say that it affects virtually no one, that is not true. it could affect young people, it could affect old people, as the piece you showed just said, older people are more likely to die from this or have serious outcomes. but young people can too. we know first of all that there are many americans that a third

of the population, of the third of the adults in the population have an underlying condition or over 65 years of age. people don't even know that they have underlying conditions sometimes. and so they may not consider themselves to be at risk. but they are. and also for those people who do get it and do not feel -- do not have a serious disease, they can still have long-term consequences that we're learning about. and finally, of course, just because you yourself may not have a serious infection and may not feel the effects, you could easily pass it to people who can. so you might be one of the lucky ones but you could pass it to someone very unlucky and there is a ripple effect. everybody has to remember that they have a responsibility to everyone around them in their communities to do their best to avoid spreading this disease. because when somebody else gets it, even if they don't have an affect, they could pass it to somebody who does. do you want to be responsible

for somebody's sister or mother or grandmother dying. we all know we could do something right now and we need to do our best. >> and that is not hyperbole or exaggeration. we've seen leaving weddings, leaving a bar. we've seen this for months now but it is so important and bears repeating, as you're saying, ann. and we're getting to this just a bit. dr. fauci, he spoke with sanjay earlier today and he had a very clear message for the here and now. the action is still needed to be taken now to avoid what he is describing as what would be a disaster this fall and winter. let me play this for you. >> we've got to keep that slope coming down. and do you that by looking at where you are, in what region of the country, and acting accordingly according to the guidelines. you know, sanjay, that is not rocket science. it is pretty clear.

but we've got to do it together. we've got to be in this together. when you have weak links in the chain and some components of society are not doing it, it just makes it very difficult for the rest. >> and ann, isn't that a coordinated national effort, and if we have to now assume that is not going to be coming from the president of the united states, what are you left with then as we enter fall and head into winter? >> kate, i said this before, i'm going to say it again. we have to listen to the science. and haven't we had enough death in this country. i think it is time for everybody to do the right thing to remember that we all have the ability in our hands right now by putting on a mask, hand hygiene, social distancing and staying away from crowds, to be able to reduce the spread of the virus. this virus doesn't care about politics. this virus cares about susceptible people and there are a lot of them here in this

country right now, and globally. so enough with the politics. let's listen to the science and do the right thing. it takes very little effort to put on a mask. and as my father-in-law always used to say, it is easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble. and i think it is really clear here, wearing a mask is so much easier than having to deal with either the personal burden of having this infection or the emotional burden and the guilt of having infected somebody else. i think this is something everybody needs to think about. >> and this is a day, if you don't think about it every day, when the country passes 200,000 people killed from this virus, many preventible deaths, this is the day to reflect on this and not be numb to the numbers. ann, thank you very much. it is good to see you. coming up next for us, as americans line up at food banks, why can't congress find the time to reach a deal in a relief bill. yet, somehow have nothing but time for a supreme court

nominee. if stress worsens your digestive issues, try new align digestive de-stress. it combines align's probiotic with ashwagandha to help soothe occasional digestive upsets, plus stress that can make them worse. align digestive de-stress. from the pros in digestive health.

and when you save up to 60%, let's play! you're always a winner. you got... up to 60% off your hotel! >>but isn't that the only one? you're a winner! priceline. every trip is a big deal. unstopables in-wash scent booster. downy unstopables.

did you know liberty mutual customizes your car insurance ta-da! so you only pay for what you need? i should get a quote. do it. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

rakuten is free to sign up and it's in over 3,000 stores. i use it to buy makeup... travel... ...clothes, electronics to me, rakuten is a great way to get cash back on anything you buy. sign up today and get cash back with rakuten. rakuten is a great way to get cash back on anything you buy. start your day with secret. secret stops sweat 3x more than ordinary antiperspirants. with secret, you're unstoppable. no sweat! try it and love it or get your money back.

right now it's full speed ahead in the senate to fill the supreme court vacancy left by ruth bader ginsburg's death. just this morning republican senator mitt romney announced he's with his party in supporting a confirmation vote before the election. senator lindsey graham, the chairman of the judiciary committee said that republicans have the votes they need to confirm the nominee before the election saying that even before the president names his nominee, of course. so they have made it clear, they have the time and they have the will. when there is a will, there's a way, as the saying goes. but where then is the will to take on something at least as important as a supreme court

nominee, getting money to the millions of americans who have lost their jobs, who are struggling to pay rent, can't even put food on the table at this point. just look at these lines. reminders of the pain that is out there. people waiting for hours and hours at food banks across the country. and we're talking about money that both republicans and democrats agree is needed. with this, they just can't seem to find a way to come together, despite the lines that you see there. you know folks don't want to be waiting in those food bank lines. but suddenly there centuisn't e time and will. stimulus talks are at a stand still and haven't go anywhere for seven weeks yet the senate has no problem barreling ahead with a lifetime appointment. the lesson is when there is a will, there is a way, but only

when it is political convenient, it seems. joining me now is correspondent manu raju and former republican congressman charlie dent. manu, if i could start with you. why can't this, as david chalian likes to say, sometimes why can't this be both and. why does it have to be either/or. >> as you know, from covering this as well, it is hard for this institution to walk and chew gum at the same time. particularly as we get closer to an election. there are several reasons why the stimulus talks have gone nowhere. one we're in the heat of a very intense election. there is not much time left in the legislative calendar. october is expected to be the month where members in both chambers are home campaigning to keep their jobs. and the policy itself, the two sides are so far apart on the details, on the overall scope. and you said talks are at a standstill, they are not talking at all at the moment. they haven't talked in weeks.

there have been no real negotiations. the price tag is much different. nancy pelosi has gone to $2.2 trillion and calling on the white house to go and republicans don't want to go to that level. the senate republicans have a plan of $500 billion and they are miles apart in the details. and major deadlines expired in july including the unemployment benefits and the federal moratorium and it is much easier to get a deal in the run-up to the deadline but when you go over that cliff, it is often times harder to go back resurrect things which is why it is easier to punt on this issue and ultimately it may be up to the voters to render a judgment in november, kate. >> and why people hate politics. i'm going to say it. democrats and republicans are fighting over, yes, details always matter and that is a very serious things when it comes to what is in any deal. but if they are a trillion dollars apart that is a ton of

money but not a lot of money when it comes to congressional math, if they want to get something done. so congressman, we've talked about this so many times, why can't they get this done when they know so many people are hurting? >> because many don't have the capacity to get the yes. i would say this, there is a path forward. the problem solvers caucus released a plan of about $1.5 trillion. i think that is a good plan. they have had 25 republicans and 25 democrats. allow a vote on that. i think pelosi has to give a bit and the senate has to give a bit. but the bottom line is they should put something on the floor. if the democrats win the election, then you pass another kpik stimulus bill. so they could do it. they have the time but they don't have the will and i think the truth is many folks in washington just don't have the ability to find compromise. their reward is to play to the bases and not -- they're not

rewarded for consensus and compromise, they're rewarded for staying hard to the base. that is the reality in washington, d.c. today. >> manu, what is the president's role in all of this. do republicans want him involved or is there another scenario where his involvement hurts them to getting a place of yes? >> reporter: i think they're skeptical of the president getting involved because of the things that he's saying. he's okay with more money than the senate republicans have put forward. and the democrats have responded by the remarks saying great, let's talk about the price tag. now the president has not really followed up on this public pronouncements that he's willing to get more money to try to get a deal. he has not been cajoling his members to go, not twisting arms. that is not been a focus of his. so even though he has said that, he has not gone there. and he also has not had a conversation with nancy pelosi in about almost a year they have not spoken. which is pretty remarkable

between a president and speaker of the house. so they are not talking and senate republicans unclear if they want him involved because he doesn't necessarily align with the position that they're pushing here in the senate, kate. >> shame on both sides on this. honestly, you call me first thing is just past the point of being tired. congressman, if you are one of the millions of americans who lost that extra money from unemployment, are you telling -- would you say to them at this point, give up on congress? they are not going to come to your aid. >> no, i wouldn't give up. because what will happen is i'm afraid the relief is going to be deferred. there is going to be an election in a couple of months, democrats run the table. there is more aid. i think there will be more aid regardless of who wins the election because there must be. there are too many people out there struggling in their small businesses, unemployment and whatever the case may be. they're all struggling and hurting. we know the cases. so i wouldn't give up on congress. but sadly congress is just

dithering while people are struggling and they can reach an agreement and the problem solver caucus is where i would start right now. that could get them to a finish line in a reasonable manner before the election. >> this dysfunction is one of the reasons that i remember, congressman, why you left congress. this dysfunction, manu, is why you never get to see your family. thank you both very much. at least we can, i don't know, hold truth to power and remind everyone this is your congress, this is your representative government at work or not, for you today. thanks, guys. >> thanks. coming up next for us, so many, so many promising lives cut short by coronavirus. i'll talk to one woman about her sister, a doctor 28 years old, guys, who fought to the very end. we'll be right back. to help you prepare for the future, without sacrificing what's most important to you today.

because with fidelity, you can feel confident that the only direction you're moving is forward.

because with fidelity, you can feel confident you can't always stop for a fingerstick.betes with the freestyle libre 14 day system, a continuous glucose monitor, you don't have to. with a painless, one-second scan you can check your glucose with a smart phone or reader so you can stay in the moment. no matter where you are or what you're doing. ask your doctor for a prescription for the freestyle libre 14 day system. you can do it without fingersticks. learn more at freestylelibre.us. tonight, i'll be eating a veggie cheeseburger on ciabatta, no tomatoes.. [hard a] tonight... i'll be eating four cheese tortellini with extra tomatoes. [full emphasis on the soft a] so its come to this? [doorbell chimes] thank you. [doorbell chimes] bravo. careful, hamill. daddy's not here to save you. oh i am my daddy.

wait, what? what are you talking about? (young woman) don't worry about it, grandma! this'll be fun. (young woman) two chocolate milkshakes, please. (grandmother) make it three. (young woman) three? (grandmother) did you get his number? (young woman) no, grandma! grandma!! (grandmother) excuse me! (young woman vo) some relationships get better with time. that's why i got a crosstrek. (avo) ninety-seven percent of subaru vehicles sold in the last ten years are still on the road. (grandmother) i'm so glad you got a subaru. (young woman) i wonder who gave me the idea? (avo) love. it's what makes subaru, subaru.

today the nation has reached and surpassed 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus. 200,000 is not just a number. it is lives. each death is someone with a future, someone with plans,

someone with goals, with a family. like 28-year-old dr. add align factan who just passed away on saturday. her sister maureen joins me now. thank you so much for being here. i know you're asked this at every turn and i'm sure you're almost have almost become numb to it, but how are you doing? could you put it into words? >> it is very difficult. but i have a good support system here. my whole family, we have been there for each other since we found the news out saturday morning and we're leaning on each other and using each other as what we need, waver hatever need, whether it is a shoulder to cry on or hold you or sit there in silence. we're being what each of us need for each other right now. and it is difficult, but i know

that with each other we'll be able to get through it. >> you're so strong. i can't even believe it in learning about your sister. and that she just passed on saturday. and i have never even had the pleasure of meeting her. your sister was 28 years old. she is a -- in the second year of residency and fighting this virus since july. and you were getting good reports about her condition and then what can you tell us what happened on friday when you received the call from the hospital? >> i personally did not receive any call from the hospital. my parents did. but on friday we were told that addaline have been off her machine and on after the ventilators which were both great things so we thought in the near future she would be going to rehab. but that evening, i believe

around 10:00 p.m., the staff came in for a routine check of her and she was unresponsive. and emergency ct showed that she did have a massive brain bleed, which was caused by a number of things and it is one of the factors that physicians and staff were aware could happen due to covid and the machines that she was on. but it was only made worse because she was on a blood thinner and they called up my parents and one of the options was to do emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in our brain, but the doctor said that it would have been a one in a million chance that she was anything of what we knew her to be. and they did not end up doing it. just because of the chance and they honestly told my parents that it wasn't going to save addaline so around 4:00 in the morning on saturday, she did pass away in my mom and dad's

arms. >> oh, god. i'm so sorry. and those words are never enough. i'm also i think everyone is so moved by when you speak out and you speak out so strongly, but i'm also so impacted by the closeness of you and your sisters. you have another sister that you have been speaking out with, natalie, and you've been through this altogether and i have three sisters and i just know the closeness of that bond of sisterhood. and i just want to you speak to that and kind of what is left now without her there. >> well we did grow up a family of four sisters, in the interview process, my elder sister emily has not felt

comfortable doing interviews but my younger sister has been but she couldn't be here this afternoon. we thought long and hard about, you know, what we are as a family and one of the things that a lot of us say is that adda line was the glue for our family. but even though she was, she passed so much of herself on to the rest of us. and we each now know exactly what she wanted and what she gave in this life and i think that is enough to keep her alive within us and keep our family together because there is so much of her that she could still give to this world even if she's not here because she's shaped us and provided and made us grow to be as great of a person as she was in this life. so there are still going to be very close sisters and i know she would be very, very proud of us for doing that and would want

us to remain as close as when she was alive. >> i'm proud of you. i'm proud of, sister. the reason you've been wanting to speak out is because you have a message. you want to speak to people about how we could all be in the scenario that addaline found herself in. i'm not going to ask you about politics, but what do you want to say to people out there that hear that the president said it doesn't affect nobody and don't wear masks and become complacent, what do you want them to know. >> you get into a routine and sometimes you forget. but checking for your keys before you leave your phone, do you have a mask, stay six feet away. i know sometimes it is difficult, you might still be in the habit of running to hug someone. but everyone in a sense can imagine whether they're the adda ts shri addaline or a daughter or a

sister or a neighbor and everyone could be her and that is the scary part of this. and if you could just wear the mask and social distancing and using hand sanitizer to do your part. i know, like you said, i don't want to get into politics, but my heartbreaks every time i look at something and i remember her and i wake up in the morning and i realize that she's not here and i'm going to have to do that for years and years and years and i pray that it gets easier but i know it will always be with me and if you could do something so that someone you know isn't in this situation, i think you have a to do that just as a human being and trying to be a good person. >> yeah. maureen, thank you so much. i don't know how to say it enough. but thank you. may your sweet sister, if we could put her up, rather than seeing me crying on television, and remember her and her

beautiful splimile. and she's not a number she was a life. maureen, thank you so much. >> thank you for having me. >> be well. we'll be right back. we're at the movies and we need to silence our phone. who knows where that button is? i don't have silent. everyone does -- right up here. it happens to all of us. we buy a new home, and we turn into our parents. what i do is help new homeowners overcome this. what is that, an adjustable spanner? good choice, steve. okay, don't forget you're not assisting him. you hired him. if you have nowhere to sit, you have too many. who else reads books about submarines? my dad. yeah. oh, those are -- progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents, but we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. look at that. when you bundle with us. is now a good time enough, crohn's. for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara® can provide relief, and is the only approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc.

you, getting on that flight? back off, uc. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. rpls, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. if you've been financially impacted by covid-19, janssen may be able to help.

that includes temperature scan, and sanitizing everythingfe. and all of our staff wearing gloves and masks. not that mask. this mask. that's the visionworks difference. visionworks. see the difference.

welcome back, everyone. with just 42 days before election day, a headline in today's washington post should serve as a wake-up call for all. according to the great reporting by the post josh rogan, the cia has assessed vladimir putin is right now likely interfering and quote probably directing an influence campaign to undermine joe biden. i want to bring in cnn national security correspondent alex marquardt who has more on this. alex, there is little that should anger any american more than russia trying to tip a u.s. election one way or another yet again. what more are you picking up? >> reporter: well, kate, what is

notable about this is the fact that putin is being named in this cia assessment according to josh rogan. and most americans know that russia is carrying out an active campaign to meddle in the 2020 election. but according to the cia, through a product that is known as the worldwide intelligence review that goes out to thousands that work in national security, that they are saying and i want to quote from this assessment, we assess that president vladimir putin and the senior most russian officials are aware and probably directing russia's influence operations aimed at denigrating the former u.s. vice president, joe biden, supporting the u.s. president, donald trump, and fuelling public discord ahead of the u.s. election in november. now, kate, that echoed what we know about russia. that president putin back in 2016 in that election, according to the intelligence community,

that he ordered an operation to denigrate then former secretary of state hillary clinton. the intelligence community has said that russia is now actively working to denigrate joe biden in support of the campaign of president donald trump. we heard that from the intelligence community over the last several weeks. we've heard this from the fbi director chris wray who spoke to this just last week. >> we verge have seen very active, very active efforts by the russias to influence our election in 2020. an effort to both sow divisiveness and discord and i think the intelligence community has assessed this publicly, to primarily to denigrate vice president biden and what the russians see as kind of an anti-russian establishment. >> reporter: but it is notable that that is not something that we hear very often from the

white house. instead, when they talk about election interference, they talk about china. after wray made those comments president trump criticized him and said what about china. kli china doesn't want president trump to get elected and with prefer former vice president biden, but by all accounts russia is being much more active in terms of meddling in the 2020 campaign, kate. >> alex, thank you so much for laying it out. i appreciate it. let me bring in national security analysis samantha vin grad. this reporting from josh, deja vu or something more? >> well the past is prologue when it comes to putin. as alex just mentioned, the intelligence community publicly assessed in january 2017 that putin himself was directing a targeted campaign against our elections to discredit hillary clinton. since that time, we have

repeatedly had warnings from the intelligence community. and i've read my fair share, this is just one way that the intelligence community has to communicate classified information to key facial security officials. it is one data point. we know for example that last november the fbi briefed lawmakers on russian efforts to target members of congress as part of their election attacks and we also know that members of the intelligence community provide oral briefings to members of congress and to the president. but, kate, intelligence is only as good as policymakers choose to make it. despite this intelligence, despite detailed information which by the way we didn't have in 2016, about how russia is attacking us, what tactics they're using. republican lawmakers and the president are acting more like

put in's pub listist. they plan to go forward with the report denigrating joe biden this week while the president is still trashing joe biden and spreading misinformation about him. and so policymakers are not integrating this in their actions. >> and there is more to it. there is so much. you have bill barr who talked to wolf blitzer who thought china was more of a threat than russia. and add what bob woodward reported from dan coats. he said coats continue to harbor the secret belief, one that had grown rather than lessened although unsupported by intelligence proof that putin had something on trump. and coats goes on to say how else to explain the president's behavior. coats could see no other explanation. people are already voting and election day is 42 days away. >> reporter: what every american should know as they cast their vote now and in the run-up to

the november 3rd election is that we have a u.s. president who is actively aiding and abetting russian intelligence, kate. president trump has reams of classified information about what russia is doing, why, and how they're doing it. including using a russian agent named and ray dierkich, president re-tweeted something from him a few weeks ago. he knows russian tactics and russia's mission and continues to knowingly spread misinformation that helps russia and hurts us. >> sam, thank you so much for being here. coming up next for us, as battle lines are drawn over hour americans could cast ballots we'll talk to a former nba star about his fight against voter suppression. for as little as $5, now anyone can own companies in the s&p 500, even if their shares cost more. at $5 a slice, you could own ten companies for $50

instead of paying thousands. all commission free online. schwab stock slices: an easy way to start investing or to give the gift of stock ownership. schwab. own your tomorrow. anything i want to buy is going to be on rakuten. rakuten is easy to use, free to sign up and it's in over 3,000 stores. i buy a lot of makeup. shampoo, conditioner. books, food travel shoes stuff for my backyard

anything from clothes to electronics. workout gear. i even recently got cash back on domain hosting. you can buy tires. to me, rakuten is a great way to get cash back on anything you buy. shop. get cash back. repeat. sign up today and get cash back with rakuten.

> it is six weeks to election day. today is national voter registration day. if you are not registered already, you should know that registration deadlines are fast approaching. of course it varies by state. but registration is closing in several key states within the next even three weeks. many as soon as october 5th. on that, joining me right now is former nba star kerim butler part of an effort called "more than a vote," working to fight voter suppression and getting more people of color to vote. we were talking about nba players refusing to take the court to protest the police shooting of jacob blake. and one of the players' demands was to turn nba arenas into

polling sites. and also get more black voters to register. >> when you look at the engagement, you know, from a census report and you think about the pocs, grassroots levels specifically in wisconsin so close to kenosha where the incident happened with jacob blake. i just feel like they're talking down to these workers that get paid 15, $20 an hour that don't even work in these communities or are from these communities. engagement with the black and brown community isn't always eye to eye. so i feel like it's up to us, people from these communities that can give back and have given back, myself over 20 years. i feel like my engagement, my platform, i have to be engaged with my people. i got to talk to them about the importance of voting, talk to them about the importance of filling out the census. the deadline is september 30th. and also just educating them and informing them to the best of my

knowledge because i have access. >> the mission statement from the group says very clearly you're not trying to be politicians, you're not trying to be policy leaders. so what are you trying to do? what do you say to people that you're reaching out to, you're talking to that still often think that their vote doesn't count? >> i mean, listen, it is voter suppression and we want people to stay engaged. we want to amplify the energy behind staying engaged in voting. we're standing on the shoulders of giants post jim crow, the civil rights movements and sit-ins, everything that people sacrificed when we talk about our ancestors who had faith and no resources. and now we have faith, resources and access to so many different things. i just want to inform the minorities will be the majority in 2045.

and that's why it's so important that we get engaged because it's not just november, it's not just this election. but it's way beyond. we have to be informed and properly educated for the future so we can be engaged in all things. and i think this is the only way to go about it. >> real quick, i find it fascinating that the nba and other sports are leading on this. they're also leading in other areas like pushing for better, faster, more affordable covid testing, for example. why does it take the nba or professional sports to lead the way? >> i love the fact that the nba is leading the way. when we think about the first major sports league to pivot out the space when covid originally hit, we elected not to play for the safety of our fans and players. and then we created a will where we can go inside of a bubble and exist with no positive tests to date, knock on wood. but we were able to create something that everybody could

kind of just copy. it's amazing. and i love the fact that we're always in the front just like with social justice and all the issues we're addressing, we're all in front leading by example. >> because you can and also because you have to. be sure to check out cnn.com/vote. you can also watch the virtual conference streaming right now. still ahead, our breaking news, coverage continues as the united states reaches a grim milestone no other country in the world has come close to. l fg ways to keep moving. and at fidelity, you'll get planning and advice to help you prepare for the future, without sacrificing what's most important to you today. because with fidelity, you can feel confident that the only direction you're moving is forward.

because with fidelity, you can feel confident hey allergy muddlers... achoo! ...do your sneezes turn heads? try zyrtec... ...it starts working hard at hour one... and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day.

zyrtec muddle no more. the freestyle libre 14 managday system...etes can be hard. - a continuous glucose monitor - ...makes it easy. easy to check your glucose without fingersticks, and easy to share your data with your doctor. and for those who qualify, the freestyle libre 14 day system, is also covered by medicare. ask your doctor for a prescription. you can do it without fingersticks. learn more at freestylelibre.us tonight, i'll be eating a veggie cheeseburger on ciabatta, no tomatoes.. [hard a] tonight... i'll be eating four cheese tortellini

with extra tomatoes. [full emphasis on the soft a] so its come to this? [doorbell chimes] thank you. [doorbell chimes] bravo. careful, hamill. daddy's not here to save you. oh i am my daddy. wait, what? what are you talking about?

♪ ♪ ♪ the big events are back. xfinity is your home for the return of live sports.

this is cnn breaking news. >> welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. and we start today with some horrible news, frankly, in our health lead. medical experts said it was avoidable. dr. fauci today called it stunning and sobering. but today the united states passed the unfathomable milestone, one that no other country has reached, according to official numbers, 200,000 people lost to the coronavirus. the first known death from the virus in the u.s. was reported on february 29th, 54 days later the u.s. reported 50,000 deaths. it took only 29 more days for 100,000 americans to lose their lives. 60 days after that, the death toll crossed 150,000. 55 days later