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tv   Anderson Cooper 360  CNN  September 9, 2021 9:00pm-10:00pm PDT

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good evening. it is unusual and extraordinary to hear a president address the nation so obviously frustrated with millions of his own fellow americans but that was the tone president biden struck late this afternoon, as he announced a series of new steps to fight the coronavirus surge. frustration at republicans fighting mask mandates in schools. many of whom, have been defiant if their response to the new rules and guidance. but also, tens of millions of vaccine-eligible americans who remain unvaccinated. saying at one point, we have been patient but, quote, our patience is wearing thin. unsparing in who is to blame, equally blunt about the difficult road ahead. >> while america's much better shape than it was seven months ago when i took office, i need to tell you a second fact. we're in the tough stretch, and it could last for a while. >> president biden laid out a six-point program to combat the virus. and we'll talk about them with
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the president's chief-medical officer dr. anthony fauci and whether they can actually help reverse a covid surge that's put cases and deaths higher than they were one year ago. first, want to lay out the basics of the administration's six-part plan. first, new vaccination requirements. perhaps, the headline here. employers with more than 100 workers will be required to have mask mandates or weekly testing. although, that testing comes with the requirement that the employer provide paid-time off. failure to comply could mean fines. also, a new mandate for federal workers and contractors. plus, one for health-care workers at facilities that take funding from medicare or medicaid. the white house is also calling on entertainment venues, like football stadiums, to require proof of vaccination or testing. second, the white house stressed the need to protect those already vaccinated with booster shots. that program is scheduled to begin in 11 days. third, the white house is also promising to keep schools open. it will mandate vaccines for educators and federally-funded
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programs, like headstart. it also calls on states to adopt vaccine requirements for all school employees. plus, the president says the government will restore pay to educators who lose income in state -- in state mask mandate fights like the one in florida. and fourth, increasing testing and requiring masks. there will be more free testing. also, retailers will sell at-home kits at cost and the tsa is doubling its mask fines. fifth, protecting the economy. the administration is promising more support for small businesses. sixth and last, improving care for the already infected. that includes more staffing for overburdened hospitals and increased shipments of monoclonal antibody doses. so there is a lot to cover. joining us right now is dr. anthony fauci. dr. fauci, you're the -- obviously, the president's chief-medical adviser. what caused him to decide to try to move what is, you know, clearly aggressively and -- and change his thinking on vaccine mandates? >> well, anderson, i think you -- you can appreciate that
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by the tone of his voice and how he presented it at the -- at the press conference this evening. he is clearly frustrated and understandably so. we've done everything we possibly can do to get people to get vaccinated. we have trusted messengers. we've made it easy. it's simple. it's safe. it's free. the data overwhelmingly show that in those areas that are undervaccinated, you're having a high level of dynamics of virus. in those areas that are vaccinated, it's much lower. the data are overwhelming to show why it is so important if we want to get this outbreak under control and this country to get vaccinated. and the president is understandably frustrated and that's the reason why he came out with his six-point plan. and you very -- very correctly outlined each of the six points. >> you have been very consistent in saying that the country needs to be below 10,000 or fewer new
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cases a day. since march of 2020, the country's never been below 10,000 new cases. this past june, we got to 11,000 new cases a day before the delta surge. so, is that a realistic end game? i mean, what -- can the country get there? and what happens until the country does get there? why is that a number? >> well, you know, it's an em peeric number. and the thing that you do is you do everything you can, particularly in the arena of vaccination to get as many people vaccinated as you possibly can. and let that number go as low as it can go. saying 10,000 is a reasonable number but you can't just have one number that you hang your hat on. you just want to get it as low as you possibly can. the one thing we do know, for sure, anderson, that 160,000 cases a day is not where we want to be. and unfortunately, that's where
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we are right now. >> i mean, almost immediately after the president laid out his plans of more than a dozen republican governors condemned the speech. many calling it an overreach, indicating there is going to be legal action. does the president have the authority to tell companies what to do and all the other mandates he's outlined? >> he has the authority when it comes to the -- to the federal government's authority. for example, he can tell, through the department of labor, that any company that has 100 or more individuals should make a rule that either they are vaccinated or they get tested. he can say that they can get paid leave to get vaccinated. he can, certainly, with an executive order, say that members of the executive branch of the federal government need to be vaccinated. those are all things that he can do as president. so i don't see any issue with there not getting done. >> there was, as you noted, a clear sense of frustration in the president's voice. are you as frustrated? and who or what do you fault?
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>> well, i -- i am, as a physician, a scientist, and a public-health individual, anderson, i am frustrated. and the reason is we do have the tools to end this. i mean, i have been in situations, in public-health situations, where you didn't have the tools to end something that was devastating people with regard to illness and death. that is very frustrating. it's frustrating in a different way when you have the tools and you have the wherewithal to get to the endgame of where you want to be, but you don't implement them. so yes, i am, i believe, equally frustrated. i don't want to see people get sick. i don't want to see them get hospitalized, and i certainly don't want to see them die. but that's what's happening when you don't vaccinate to the full extent possible. >> the -- the president outlined an aggressive new testing plan but just yesterday, your colleague, dr. frances collins, director of the nih, said there is still a problem distributing
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tests. how can that be? >> no, what -- what the president was saying is that he's going to make -- he's using the defense production act to get literally millions and million of tests, many of them free, for individuals. so, the distribution will come. right now, we just need those tests and we are going to be accelerating the testing program as the president outlined in one of his six points. >> but is -- is there enough testing, currently? i mean, you are talking about things that people can buy or -- or get at cost or get for free to test themselves, i assume. >> yeah. >> i mean, are you -- what is the -- the tracking on, you know, do we know in -- in people who are not demonstrably sick, how widespread this virus is? >> well, we -- we -- well, the point you're making, i believe, anderson, is that are we testing enough people who are without symptoms? >> correct. >> and the answer is, no. we all realize we need to do that more. and the more you test people,
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you will get a better grasp of what the penetrance of the infection is but that's something that is very clear and we will be doing that and that's one of the things the president is talking about. expanding significantly testing capability and implementation. >> the -- the los angeles, the second largest in the country, voted to -- just this evening to mandate vaccines for all eligible students, 12 and older. as you know, the fda's fully approved the pfizer vaccine for teens 16 and older. when do you think they'll grant full approval for children and teens between 12 and 15? >> well, i think that's going to be soon. right now, the data's been submitted i believe to the fda. they'll look at it and in their typical manner, will very carefully examine it. and make a regulatory determination as quickly as they possibly can. >> dr. fauci, i want to bring in someone much smarter than me, our chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta. sanjay, i know you have got some questions for dr. fauci. >> yeah. hey, hey, dr. fauci, good evening. thanks for being here. you know, the -- the overall hospitalizations are about two
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and a half-times what they were at this point last year and deaths are about two times. obviously, a terrible situation. a lot of the president's speech was about vaccines. but how long do you think we'll -- we'll actually get the impact of -- of those -- of those new vaccine mandates if they happen? is it going to be -- is it going to be in time for what we're dealing with right now? >> well, it's certainly not going to be immediate, as you know, sanjay. because you are going to have to talk about, you know, a few weeks from the time you get your first dose to the time you get your boost and then 7 to 14 days, thereafter. so we are talking about what happens today is going to have an impact maybe six or more weeks from now. so in the meantime, as you well know, we got to do both. you've got to do mitigation, at the same time as you do accelerating the vaccine program. and the mitigation has to do with masking, mask mandates, avoiding congregate settings, particularly indoors. all the things that you and i have discussed so many times. you got to do both of those
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things, simultaneously, because there is that lag of six weeks or more before you get the full impact of the vaccine that you give today. >> you know, when it comes to the -- to the mandates for -- through the department of labor and companies that have 100 or more employees. my understanding of what the president was saying, dr. fauci, was that either you get a vaccine or you have to be tested regularly. and oftentimes, it seems like these two things are commingled, like do one or the other. but in one case, you are preventing it. in the other case, you are diagnosing it. why not just do the vaccine mandate? and not say that the testing can be sort of this off-ramp? >> well, i think the president is -- is -- is, you know, being somewhat moderate in his demand, if you want to call it that. in that there are some people who really don't want to get vaccinated but they don't want to lose their job. you got to give them an off lane and the off lane is if you get tested frequently enough, and find out you're positive, you won't come to work and you won't infect other people.
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so, it really is somewhat of a compromise there. myself, i would make it just vaccinate or not. but he was trying to be moderate in what his pronouncement was. >> and just -- and just real quickly, um, there was a study that came out of israel about natural immunity. and basically, the headline was that natural immunity provides a lot of protection even better than the vaccines, alone. um, how -- what do -- what are people to make of that? so, as we talk about vaccine mandates, there are -- i get calls all the time. people say i have already had covid. i'm protected. and now, the study says maybe even more protected than the vaccine, alone. should they also get the vaccine? how do you make the case to them? >> you know, that's a really good point, sanjay. i don't have a really firm answer for you on that. that's something that we're going to have to discuss regarding the durability of the response. the one thing the paper from israel didn't tell you is whether or not as high as the protection is with natural infection, what's the durability
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compared to the durability of a vaccine? so, it is conceivable that you got infected. you're protected. but you may not be protected for an indefinite period of time. so i think that is something that we need to sit down and discuss seriously because you very appropriately pointed out it is an issue. and there could be an argument for saying what you said. >> and -- and where -- where are we on kids below the age of 12 getting -- you know, whenever the trials will be done, that kids can get vaccinated under the age of 12? >> yeah. well, good question, anderson. there is a timetable for that. right now, if you look at the testing that's being done now that we're doing, together, with the pharmaceutical companies, is that pfizer is a bit ahead of moderna of testing in that age group. so we likely will get enough data to present to the fda for the possibility of an
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emergency-use authorization somewhere around the end of september, the beginning of october. how long it's going to take them, if they decide that they want to go the eua route, it may take a few weeks after that to make the determination. moderna is just a few weeks behind. make, t maybe, two weeks behind. so they are going to get enough data for eua probably mid-end of october. so within the next several weeks to a month, month and a half, we should have enough data to make a determination is it safe? and is it effective to give it to children who are 11 years of age and younger? >> and, dr. fauci, more than 100,000 people are hospitalized because of covid right now. some hospitals are overwhelmed. starting to ration care. now that people have a choice to prevent covid illness or serious illness and death and aren't taking it, how should doctors choose -- i mean, if it comes to that -- who receives an icu bed? and should -- should, you know, field hospitals re-open in certain parts of the country?
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>> anderson, if you're asking should you preference it fa vaccinated person versus an unvaccinated person. that's something that is always widely discussed. but in medicine, i know, that you don't prejudiced against someone because of their behavior. you just don't do that in medicine. there had have to be some other, medically-sound reason on the evaluation of one person, versus another, whether you are going to give scarce resources to. but not in a punitive way for someone's behavior. >> and field hospitals? >> well, what is the question? using -- if we have to get -- if -- if it gets to that, fine. you do whatever you can to take care of people. if you get overwhelmed in the hospital system as it exists, you do everything you can to be able to give proper treatment to people even if that is mobilizing a field hospital. if that's necessary, definitely.
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>> dr. anthony fauci, appreciate your time. sanjay, as well. thank you. still to come. the attorney general announcing a lawsuit against texas over its new abortion law that's effectively ended abortions for most women seeking them. we will have an explanation on government's argument and its chances in court, ahead. and later, something we were just talking about. vaccine mandates in schools. a big victory for those who support them in one of the largest school districts in the country. before treating your chronic migraine, 15 or more headache days a month each lasting 4 hours or more, you're not the only one with questions about botox®. botox® prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine before they even start, with about 10 minutes of treatment once every 3 months. so, ask your doctor if botox® is right for you, and if a sample is available. effects of botox® may spread hours to weeks after injection
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hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ the other major announcement out of the biden administration today. it's suing the state of texas over its new abortion law, which bans abortion after six weeks and sefrmgly deputizes citizens to bring suit to the -- went into effect eight days ago. or stopped offering them altogether. attorney general merrick garland announced the lawsuit today. he said the law violates women's constitutional rights.
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>> this kind of scheme can nullify the constitution of the united states is one that all americans, whatever their politics or party, should fear. if it prevails, it may become a model for action in other areas by other states, and with respect to other constitutional rights and judicial precedence. the lawsuit comes after the supreme court refused to block the law from going into effect. the office of texas governor greg abbott said in a statement it would defend the law. i want to get perspective now with cnn's chief legal analyst and former-federal prosecutor, jeffrey toobin. and wendy davis who filibustered for 11 hours against another restrictive abortion law back in 2013. jeff, does the justice department have a strong case here? >> well, they -- it was certainly a powerful and persuasive case. that this law is outrageous, that it conflicts with the constitution. the problem is when you dig into
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the 27-page complaint, the issue is standing. the issue is does the justice department, under federal law, have the right to bring this lawsuit? because this lawsuit says nothing about the federal government. now, attorney general garland tried to make the case that it has an effect on federal agencies in texas. that may or may not be a persuasive argument to -- to the -- to the courts there. but -- um -- the -- the problem with this whole case from the beginning has been, procedurally, how to get the issue squarely before the court. the supreme court of the united states didn't address it when it allowed the court to go in -- it allowed the law to go into effect. this is an attempt to get the courts to address it. but under the standing rules, i'm not sure it'll be successful. >> senator davis, what do you think? >> yeah. jeffrey makes a really excellent point. i was so grateful to see the
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department of justice step up, and do what they did today. and, you know, this presents a really unique legal question. there are a lot of states, for example, around the country who have passed these if roe v. wade was ever overturned, then we are going to immediately prohibit abortions in our state. um, and those haven't been challenged because they haven't had any kind of an impact, yet. but this law in texas, even though no one has filed suit yet, as you mentioned in your opening, anderson, this has shut clinics down and stopped the ones that remain open from offering abortion care after six weeks. and so, we're in this terrible standoff position where no one has filed suit, yet, to trigger -- um -- you know, the ripeness and the standing. and yet, the impacts of this
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particular law are shrouding the ability for people to receive abortion care in our state. and it's already creating a devastating impact on very real people. and i'll be interested to see how this particular federal trial court addresses this question. there are two judges on this trial court. one of whom was appointed by a democrat. one of whom, appointed by a republican. and even the republican judge and, in fact, most of these anti-abortion cases from texas have gone through his court. he has shown absolutely no patience for the state's attempts to get around the constitutional protections of roe v. wade, either, through targeted regulations of abortion providers. and i'll be really interested to see how he answers this question that jeffrey raises while,
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simultaneously, of course, understanding what the state has done here is essentially try to abrogate its role in creating an undue burden on women to private attorneys general, these vigilante citizens who don't even have to claim any personal harm in order to bring the suit. >> well, i mean, jeff, just the timing of this, how long do you think a lawsuit like this might take to make its way through the legal system? >> well, quite some time and that's what is so outrageous about this situation and frankly the responsibility is principally with the supreme court of the united states, which last week let this law go into effect without having a constitutional challenge. i mean, even the state of texas acknowledges that this law conflicts with binding supreme court precedent. roe v. wade in 1973. the casey decision in 1992. no question, that this law conflicts with the laws -- the
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law of the land, as we think it exists. but by -- but the supreme court, in letting this go into effect, has created this completely bizarre situation where a plainly unconstitutional law is now in effect. and now, denying women their rights in texas and there is no court at this moment evaluating whether it's constitutional. i've never heard of a situation like that. but that's what the situation is right now. and it's going to continue for weeks and potentially even months. >> yeah. senator senator davis, i really appreciate your time tonight. and jeff, before we let you go. you saw the speech by president biden, obviously, this evening on covid vaccine mandates. more than a dozen republican governors already vowed to fight it. do those states have a good case? does the president have the authority to do what he said he wanted to do today? >> well, i have to say this is not an area that -- that is completely clear because osha, the -- the reg -- which the part
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of the department of labor which regulates workplaces does do workplace safety. but as far as i'm aware, they have never issued an -- an order this broad, especially regarding a vaccine. so, this will certainly wind up in the courts almost as soon as this regulation is promulgated. the -- the regulation hasn't happened, yet. i -- i think what the biden administration is hoping is that they will simply force a lot of employers to make this change, and most people won't bother to wait for a court case. they're just going to try to get people vaccinated. and that's really the point. >> jeff toobin, thank you very much as well. up next. breaking news from los angeles, where the school board has voted to mandate vaccines for students age 12 and older. it's the largest school district in the country to make the move. i will talk with the president of the school board, next. and later, a really incredible conversation about the long road of grief. i will talk with a woman whose mom -- you see her there -- worked in the twin towers and disappeared on 9/11. her name was dorothy morgan. for years, she hoped her mom,
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there is breaking news tonight. los angeles has become the first major school district in the nation to mandate covid vaccines for students 12 and older. the move comes as covid cases among children are soaring in parts of the country, and this could pave the way for more school districts across the nation to do the same. joining me from more on the decision is kelly gonez, president of the school board. ms. gonez, thanks so much for joining us. can you just explain why the board decided to take this action and when the mandate and going to be implemented? >> sure. thank you so much for having me, anderson. so the la school board today voted unanimously to require covid-19 vaccinations for students 12 and older who are attending in-person school. and the mandate goes into effect
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earlier at the end of october for students who are participating in sports. or other extracurricular activities. and then, all of our students ages 12 and up must provide documentation of full vaccination by january 10th, 2022. >> and does this apply to teachers and -- and others who work in the schools, adults? >> it's a great question. we actually have already passed a vaccination mandate for our employees. um, so all employees and third parties who do work on our campuses must be fully vaccinated by october 15th. >> so, teachers as well. >> so this is really a continuation of our strategies to keep our school safe. >> so earlier in the program, dr. fauci was saying for kids under 12, they will likely have enough day to to present to the fda the possibility of emergency-use authorization by october. if and when that emergency use authorization happens, would this mandate apply to kids under 12? or would it have to be voted separately by the board? >> so right now, this mandate only applies to ages 12 and up.
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i think that we would certainly, once those data are available and once that approval's provided, we'll certainly want to consider what we can do for our students ages 12 and under. um, because that's a big concern for our families right now. how do we keep our elementary students safe? um so i think we will certainly take that into account. >> the fda hasn't given full approval for the vaccine for kids from 12 to 15. still under emergency-use authorization. what do you see to parents who have kids in that age group who say they want to wait for the full-fda approval before getting their kids vaccinated? >> um, you know, i am a mom of two young kids, myself. so i know how hard it is for our families to know exactly what is the best way to keep their kids safe during the pandemic. um, and there is also been a lot of intentional misinformation. um, so in this environment, it is understandable that parents have questions and concerns. and we here in l.a. unified want to be there to help answer those questions and make sure they get accurate information about the vaccine in a culturally responsive way.
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though, the vaccine doesn't yet have full approval for ages 12 and up, um, all the health authorities whether they be the los angeles county department of public health, cdc, dr. fauci, the american academy of pediatrics. they all recommend that youth ages 12 and up become vaccinated and we know, you know, millions of americans have been vaccinated, including youth. and almost none had have adverse reactions and the protection that it offers from covid is significant. so we believe that the risks -- um -- are significantly outweighed by the benefits of covid vaccination for all of our students. >> so the mandate will allow those with, quote, qualified and approved exemptions to opt out. what qualifies as an exemption? >> so, families may submit a medical exemption. and some students, such as foster youth or students experiencing homelessness can also receive conditional admission because we know they might have barriers to accessing immunization and we don't want to bar them from enrollment. but here in california, state
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law does not recognize religious or personal belief exemptions for existing student immunizations and we would be consistent when looking at this new vaccine mandate. >> and once this takes effect, would l.a. county schools keep other protocols in place, like masking indoors, outdoors, weekly testing? because in middle school, for example, unvaccinated kids under 12 will be in the same school, obviously, as older, vaccinated kids. >> right. i mean, i think the hope is that we know vaccinations are the single-best way to protect our students and keep our schools open and keep them safe for kids to learn and to thrive. i think the hope is as we implement this -- this requirement for both our staff and our students, that we will soon be able to -- to have a day where masks won't be required because all of our students are vaccinated and that we'll be able to reduce testing. um, so i think we look forward to that day. obviously, we -- we'll have to approach those decisions once we -- we get this mandate fully implemented. >> i mean, it's so complex and school boards have so much to deal with and i appreciate you talking to us about it tonight. thank you. >> thank you for having me.
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still to come. a powerful conversation i had just before air time about grief and loss with a woman who lost her mom at the world trade center on 9/11. just recently, her mom's remains were finally identified 20 years later. how she plans to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks, coming up. and etfs. and a commitment to get you the best price on every trade, which saved investors over $1.5 billion last year. that's decision tech. only from fidelity.
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saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and across the country, memorials will be held to remember the victims. for the families of those lost, grief obviously comes in many different forms. for one victim's family, this year's already profoundly different. dorothy morgan was working as an insurance broker in the north tower of the world trade center when it was attacked. her body was never positively identified. but recently, 20 years after she died, thanks to new dna technology, the new york city medical examiner's office was, finally, able to identify dorothy's remains. she is the 1,646th person identified through dna testing. detectives broke the news to dorothy's daughter last month. it was a call she was not expecting, and we asked her to come on and talk about what it's meant.
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nikia morgan joined me earlier. thank you so much for -- for speaking with us. i -- i cannot imagine, emotionally, what this has been like after all these years. >> oh, my goodness. it has been an emotional roller coaster. you -- you -- first, you have somewhat of a calm. and then, you get news like this and then it's all over, again, you're in shock. you get -- your -- you're crying. you're -- it -- it's just all over the place. all over the place. >> you know, i mean, obviously, everybody, you know, grief is different for -- for everybody and everybody deals with loss in -- in a different way. obviously, you -- you knew your mom was killed that day. she worked as an insurance adjustor, if i'm correct, at -- at -- in one of the towers, right? >> she worked for -- she was in the north tower. i want to say the 92nd in that
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area, on that floor. and honestly speaking, i can't say -- okay, later on, i knew, yes, she was killed that day. when it was happening, i didn't want to believe that. i didn't want to believe. >> how long did it take you to -- to come to believe it? >> years. >> wow. >> yes. i would think -- >> so, what did you tell yourself? >> my mom was out there. she was out there -- um -- maybe had amnesia. and then, was released from the hospital. i had a whole story in my head. and she was out there living life, happy. >> i understand that. >> yeah. >> the -- um -- to suddenly then discover this. i mean, first of all, your mom's name is dorothy morgan. and -- and you didn't -- over
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the years, you've never been to ground zero, is that correct? >> i have not. i will go for the first time on saturday. >> yeah. i want to talk to you about that. but the -- the decision -- it's interesting to me. again, everybody deals with stuff differently. and -- and i don't know how i would deal with this. it's interesting, i think, to people that for you, you -- you didn't feel a connection to that place that you needed to go to be at the memorials over the last 20 years? >> no. i wouldn't -- i wouldn't go. september 11th on my calendar didn't exist. it -- it was september 10th, september 12th. on the 11th, i did nothing. if it was a work day, i stayed home. um, and i didn't answer phone, didn't watch television at all. nothing. september 11th did not exist for me for many years.
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>> so interesting. my dad died when i was 10 years old and father's day did not exist for me. i -- it was a day i could not -- i just pretended it never happened. i pretended it -- it -- it didn't exist. so, detectives come to your house and i understand i think it was your son called you and said that there are police here and they want to talk to you and it's about grandma? >> yes. yes. um, that -- i couldn't imagine what they could've been at my house for. and to speak about my mother. um, then the detectives. they spoke to me and said the city medical examiner reached out to them and -- um -- i guess, the procedure is they have to notify someone the district that covers your area. and they came out and to tell me that remains were discovered. my mother. 20 years later. and gave me the number for the
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medical -- medical examiner. and -- um -- told me to call. to get more information. >> wow. what was your mom like? >> my mom was beautiful. i always have my memory that always pops up in my head is watching my mom get ready for work in the mornings. even as a child. and standing behind her in the mirror and watching her do her hair and her makeup. and she -- just an amazing woman. everyone that she came in contact with loved her. even just over the phone, clients that she had that never met her. they came to her memorial service. never met her. and just thought she was a wonderful human being. and that's how she was with everyone. >> so, you had had a memorial service you'd -- but in your mind, in your heart, she was
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still out there? >> yeah. it was -- it was a celebratory service for me. um, i -- i -- i was very emotional then. um, but it still was not real for me. >> and so, finding out that she's clearly been identified. i mean, is it disappointment? is it relief? is it -- >> it -- i -- i really don't know how i'm dealing with it. um -- it -- the -- what's making me deal with it is having to go through the process of obtaining the remains. um, which i have not begun that process because i feel like that is what makes it real. the conversations that i had and everything. i asked the questions. but to actually have to go through a funeral director, and
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go to pick up the remains. and discuss with them what i want to have done, if i want to prepare for a burial or for cremation. i think that may do it for me. that may be, okay, this is it and this is final. i think that's why i've put this off. and especially, now dealing with the 20th anniversary and having to deal with that as well. i think i kind of put that off because of that. it will be final for me. and i don't know if i'm ready for that. >> yeah. y yeah. i mean, it's got to feel overwhelming. it's got it feel like it's almost bringing you back to when you first found out. >> exactly. exactly. exactly. >> and yet, you're going. you're going on saturday to ground zero. and you are going to say your mom's name. you are going to read out her name. >> i am. i thought about it. i spoke with my godmother, who is my mom's best friend from 2nd grade. >> 2nd grade, your mom's best
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friend? oh, my gosh. that -- she must be like your aunt or -- >> she is flying in tomorrow. >> wow. >> she is going to go and that was -- >> she is going to go with you? >> yes. yes. and she hasn't been, either. >> wow. >> yeah. >> i -- wow. and you're going -- and you are going to say her name aloud. you are going to read her name out? >> i am. i am. >> um, wow. >> this is the time to honor my mother. and so, say her name aloud so i'm going to do it. >> dorothy morgan. >> yeah. >> um, well thank you so much for talking to us. i -- you know, grief is just such a -- such a long road and i really appreciate you talking about kind of the steps you have been taking. >> thank you. i thank you for having me, and
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allowing me to voice this. >> yeah. and thank you for showing us your beautiful mom and telling us about her. >> you're welcome. thank you. >> i will say her name as i go to bed tonight. dorothy morgan. thank you. >> thank you. dorothy the clock ticking on the california recall election. just five days away. a report from a part of california where governor newsom is not the favorite in next week's recall. that's next. as someone who resembles someone else... i appreciate that liberty mutual knows everyone's unique. that's why they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. [ nautical horn blows ] i mean just because you look like someone else doesn't mean you eat off the floor, or yell at the vacuum,
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the california recall election just five days away, and while democratic governor gavin newsom is campaigning to remain in office, there is one section of the state that is decidedly not friendly to him. and what a change. lucy kafanov now with a report from that republican stronghold. >> reporter: in one of the country's bluest states, kern county stands out as a rare bastion of red. it's where you'll find america's last woolworth's luncheonette counter, serving up burgers, shakes, and a side of nostalgia.
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>> california was once a really nice place. governor newsom says a lot of things, but he does all bad things. >> reporter: when it comes to governor gavin newsom some of the diners here have had their fill. >> if there's not a change my wife and i we're out of here. >> really? >> we're leaving the state. >> reporter: many republicans here think their voices aren't heard. >> no. i don't think so. >> no. not really. >> reporter: to some degree they're right. in 2018, just 41% of kern county voters went for newsom. >> the best is yet to come. >> reporter: but he won the state by a landslide. now republicans are hoping to flip the governor's office, an uphill battle in a state where registered democrats outnumber republicans nearly 2-1. >> sometimes i wonder if it's worth voting because, you know, my voice may not be heard. both of us often feel like, okay, is it really going to matter in california? it's always going to be democrats.
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>> reporter: at the kern county gop headquarters, they're trying to change that with phone calls, ballot dropoffs, and yard signs. >> the outcome is anyone's guess. this is an odd time of year to have an election, september 14, but we've had people pouring in here for the last two weeks. >> reporter: kern county gop member cathy abernathy says republican voters are energized. >> do you have some ballots for me? >> i do. >> reporter: and she's hoping for a boost from independents and some democrats. >> these extremes produce a switch in parties. and i don't believe all the democrats in california are of the same philosophy as the democrats in that state capitol building. >> reporter: with just a few days left to convince california to change track, larry elder is banking on bakersfield. it's larry elder's third visit to bakersfield and there's a good reason for that. a lot of the republican voers voters we spoke to said they won't risk mailing in their ballot, they simply don't trust the election system.
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they're waiting to have their say in person on september 14, election day. anderson? >> lucy kafanov, thank you very much. authorities hold a congressional briefing on a possible capitol threat later this month. a d.c. police officer who became the voice for dozens of officers injured january 6th returns to work. details ahead. as your business changes, the united states postal service is changing with it. with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now. next day and two-day shipping nationwide, and returns right from the doorstep. it's a whole new world out there. let's not keep it waiting. you've been taking mental health meds, and your mind is finally in a better place. except now you have uncontrollable body movements called tardive dyskinesia td. and it can seem like that's all people see. ♪ some meds for mental health can cause abnormal dopamine signaling in the brain.
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