finally tonight, that moment of impact. new imams revealing what we witnessed live last night, that nasa spacecraft crashing into that astroid to knock it off course. here's what it looked like from satellite. you can see the collision, there it is. more images, you see the blast in the background. it was a $300 million project, the whole goal was to see if nasa can hit something really tiny and knock it off course so we wouldn't have a catastrophe for human civilization. thanks for joining us. and now let's hand it off to anderson. good evening. we begin tonight with the new update on hurricane ian. as this satellite video shows, it is a massive and highly active system, the flashes you see are lightning. here is what it is like in key west, which just started seeing

tropical storm force winds. the greatest concern right now is in the gulf coast where a combination of heavy rainfall, massive storm surge and rivers already at flood stage could send up to 12 feet of water into low-lying areas. the january 6th smcommittee canceled tomorrow's hearing because of the storm. jennifer gray is in the weather center. i want to start with a new bulletin. so what have we learned now? >> we have 120-mile-per-hour winds with gusts of 150. it's still moving to the north-northeast at about 10 miles per hour. basically it's paralleling key west right now. the lower keys have received tropical storm force winds, and conditions are only going to deteriorate across the southern peninsula of florida throughout the overnight tonight. tropical storm force winds will be arriving across south florida within the next couple of hours

and throughout the day tomorrow and the early afternoon. or early to mid afternoon. we should be seeing a landfall. so 8:00 tonight, by 8:00 wednesday morning, this is when the earliest arrival of tropical storm force winds will arrive. we could see these winds maintain across this area all the way through friday morning. so as this storm marches across the state, we are going to be inundated with the high storm surge, but 20 to 30 inches of rain, as well as the winds that will be relentless. this could be a category 4 storm. it could make landfall as a category 4, as well. that will push the storm surge into this area, between tampa, ft. myers, that's the area we're concerned about for 8 to 12 feet of storm surge. so the area right around the center and just to the right of

the center, that's where we're going to see the highest surge. so potential for 12 feet of storm surge there with these low-lying areas, pushing some water very far inland. we could see nine feet of storm surge around port charlotte, down to ft. myers if the track is steady for tomorrow like we think it's going to be today. here's the radar. you can see the eye very defined, pulling in there. we have tornado warnings. in fact, a densely populated portion of broward county right now. people need to be aware that tornadoes will be spinning up throughout this storm, as well as a combination of very dangerous elements for the next 24 to 36 hours. >> and looking at the image below me, you can see around key west, florida, you get a sense of what they are just starting to experience out in key west. jennifer, the key hours for --

what are the -- do we know what time it will make landfall? >> sometime between -- i would expect between 4:00 and 7:00, maybe 8:00 tomorrow. it depends -- >> tomorrow afternoon? >> yes, tomorrow afternoon. the national hurricane senter is not expecting it to slow as much as previously thought. so it's all going to depend on the speed that goes into shore. >> jennifer gray, thank you. western cuba has already taken a bad hit. so there's a lot of folks without power. explain where you are and what you've been hearing and seeing. >> reporter: you wouldn't think i'm in a city of 2 million people, but right now, anderson, the entire city of havana is without any power. and we weren't even hit that hard today. the official explanation is that the government took down the power ahead of the storm as they

often do, and that they were waiting to turn the power back on to make sure there aren't any fires or people that get electrocuted by downed power lines. of course, the electrical system had problems for months here. that's led to rare protests, people taking to the streets, because they're so angry over these frequent blackouts. so from havana west, this island is without power. and we are hearing more reports of cities and towns without power. so why is the power down so many hours after the storm passed through here and how long will it take the government to put it back on? certainly western cuba, very hard hit. hundreds of people, thousands have lost their roofs, have had trees down in front of their houses. people just beginning to return to their towns to see the destruction there. and it will be a process of days, if not weeks to begin the

recovery. >> havana has a lot of older, historic buildings. do we know how the infrastructure is holding up? >> reporter: just before we came on air tonight with you, there was a large building in central havana, a poor neighborhood that completely collapsed. this is the danger when these buildings get soaked in rain like we did today. it's not until they dry out when the sun comes out, that's when these buildings, as they dry, there is sort of a process where all of a sudden they will give way. sometimes it can be a balcbalcoa piece of a building, sometimes an entire building that comes down with the people inside. they might only have seconds to run out. even though hurricane ian has left cuba, it's not done inflicting pain on cuba. certainly, people, when they're walking the streets in havana for days to come, they will be looking up scared a building could collapse. just so much of the aging

infrastructure that's not been maintained over the years and it's been put to the test. and in the days ahead, could very well fail. so the pain will be felt from this hurricane for some time to come. it really is one that cubans will remember for a long time. >> i want to go next to randi kaye who is in punta gorda, florida. what are things like there, randi? >> reporter: anderson, we are now seeing steady rains here. 120,000 people under mandatory evacuation order in charlotte county where we are, about 2/3 of the entire county. we are just outside on the edge of downtown. we came over to this boat launch to see what the situation is with the water levels before the storm. and they look okay for now, but this is the peace river here that feeds into charlotte harbor. what they're expecting is 10 to 12-foot storm surge, what's going to happen is, the peace river and the charlotte harbor

is going to both flood. that is the real concern. when the storm comes, the ocean water is going to push into charlotte harbor. it will overflow and the same thing will happen to the peace river. and then where is that water going to go? right up through here and other parts of the harbor and push its way all the way into downtown punta gorda, which is right there. we can back over to downtown, so that's how close all of this storm surge could be. lots of people have been boarding up their stores, putting sandbags all over, because the real concern is the storm surge and the flooding. we did speak to one couple on a boat and they decided to ride out the storm. >> how does this compare to hurricane charley in 2004 so far? >> reporter: hurricane charley, 2004, that was a cat 4 storm that came racing right up the harbor, moving much faster than

hurricane ian, it was going 25 miles per hour. ian is going about 10 miles an hour. it was also a much smaller storm and it was really a wind event. so it plowed right through punta go gorda, but there wasn't much of a storm surge. hurricane ian will be 10 to 12 feet. i'm okay now standing here, but this time tomorrow night, you can get this area will likely be under water. so a very different story from charley. >> randi, thank you. with us now is the mayor of marathon in the florida keys. mayor bar tas, thank you for being with us. what does it look like where you are and what have preparations been like? >> right now, the wind over the last couple of hours has picked up. we just got gusts a little over 50 miles per hour. they're looking at tropical storm conditions. most of the night and throughout the florida keys.

the keys are prepared for these things. the governments from key west throughout the north county, including marathon, got the preparations put together and we're ready for that. we know how this goes. we're really worried about possibilities and storm surge coming through the bay side as the storm goes north. but we're prepared and we're going to hunker down and weather this out. >> do you know how many people have evacuated in your area? >> there were no mandatory evacuations called for. the city of key west did open a shelter for people that were going to be displaced. and we certainly encourage people in boats and trailers to go find some alternate places to stay. but no mandatory evacuations were ordered in the keys. >> what is your greatest concern at this hour, the storm surge you were talking an't? >> i think the storm surge coming in on the bay side, the water will pond up, especially

close to the upper keys like after hurricane wilma. our weather station in key west said some of those neighborhoods could last there through friday or saturday. >> obviously, folks, as you said, folks in the keys have been through this before. they know it well. do you think residents were able to get enough provisions ahead of the storm. >> i really do. if you go through the local grocery stores, the shelves were pretty much picked there. people were in lines and gas stations. most of that cooled down as the forecast track showed that the storm was probably going to say fairly well west of us. i think the eyewall will come close to ft. jefferson, but we have had a lot of rainfall and some flooding and we're always worried about that. but we'll get through this just fine. >> yeah.

mayor, thank you so much. be careful. be safe. coming up next as we continue to keep a close watch on the storm, we'll look at the border crossing where russians are trying to flee the country instead of being drafted. and a cnn exclusive. alex john robert, his first interview sense being released from a russian prison in ukraine. ♪ ♪

striving to reach the ultimate goal of zero poverty takes more than everyone's hopes and dreams. at citi, it takes a financial commitment to companies who empower people to lift themselves up. it takes funding and building on our know-how to help communities grow. that's how citi is helping create a better future by committing one trillion dollars in sustainable finance by 2030. because it takes everything to reach zero poverty. ♪ ♪

[ coughing/sneezing ] [ door knocking ] dude, you coming? alka-seltzer plus powermax gels cold & flu relief with more concentrated power. because the only thing dripping should be your style! plop plop fizz fizz, winter warriors with alka-seltzer plus.

♪ my relationship with my credit cards wasn't good. i got into debt in college and, no matter how much i paid, it followed me everywhere. between the high interest, the fees... i felt trapped. debt, debt, debt. so i broke up with my credit card debt and consolidated it into a low-rate personal loan from sofi. i finally feel like a grown-up. break up with bad credit card debt. get a personal loan with no fees, low fixed rates, and borrow up to $100k. go to sofi.com to view your rate. sofi. get your money right. ♪

as we continue to monitor hurricane ian, there are significant developments elsewhere. parts of occupied ukraine for one, where authorities are declaring outlandish staged voting. that's as russia call up people in the draft. this is russia's largest crossing border with georgia. melissa bell joins us now. so we're seeing these huge

lines. it's really extraordinary. it's very early in the morning where you are. are the people and cars still lined up, still passing through? >> reporter: they are, anderson. let me show you a little behind me. it is very early in the morning. all night what we have seen is a steady trickle of the cars. that line of traffic that we can see goes back for dozens of miles. the people are getting out of their cars and coming over. some have come on bicycles. some are coming over on foot. we have seen fighting age men and we have seen women, children accompanying them, children being pushed in their strollers as they try to get away as quickly as they can across the border, taking what little they can with them. sometimes a suitcase, really reminiscent of the scenes we have been seeing along ukraine's border. this time we're talking about russia's. >> so do people -- is the russia border -- russians are still

allowing them out? is this a place where russia has the ability to stop them? what are you hearing from people about why they're leaving? >> reporter: basically, this is all about the draft that was announced last week by vladamir putin. people scared about how it's being applied. the chaotic nature of the way it's being applied inside russia. not just the 300,000 people with previous military experience, but they say that they're scared of finding themselves in prison or on the front lines, because they say people are just being taken from the streets. so there's a problem of what's happening now. there are fears that this could become a full mobilization. but more than that, you mentioned this crossing. this is one that russians could come through easily. until now, it's been relatively easy. now you have the logistics of people trying to get in. the real fear of the ones we have been speaking to, managed to get through tonight, this is one of those border crossings that could be closed all

together. a partial and full mobilization, and the introduction of martial law. they tell us they're getting out while they can. >> according to russian state news agency, draft paperpers wi be given to men crossing the border. have you seen that taking place and will that defer anyone? >> reporter: it will probably add to the sense of urgency with which they flee. what we have been hearing from police on the georgian side is what they expect to see is a change in the nature of the people crossing. so fewer fighting age men able to get through, because essentially what they expect is a sort of filtration system to be put in place. so that those men are more carefully checked. and the ones that are not allowed to pass through, kept on the other side of the border. >> melissa, thank you. we're joined now by my guest. it's amazing to see those

images, those are not people fleeing ukraine as we are used to seeing to poland or els elsewhere. they're fleeing russia going into georgia. >> and you understand why president vladamir putin waited so long before going ahead and ordering partial mobilization. there's such a huge difference between watching this special operation playing out on your television sets, and then having it destroy your life. having to send your son, your brother off to a front line where ultimately people understand they may be used as cannon fodder. and there's a real understanding for people, the whole thing that putin offered was this idea of stability. and now they're seeing all the gains that have been made over the last three decades suddenly, potentially disappearing into thin air. >> the idea that they're arresting protestors and they're

getting some of them to go and fight. they offer to people in prison you get a reduced sentence or get out but you have to fight in ukraine. >> i think it's important to keep perspective about this, in terms of what is the impact on the battlefield? look at some of the guys we're seeing who are heading to the front lines. we're seeing a lot of drunks, a lot of people with no military experience. we're seeing a lot of people who don't want to be there. we're seeing people that have been recruited from prisons just hoping to get a lower sentence. and we're seeing a real lack of morale. we're not seeing the proper equipment. they're fighting with rusty rifles. a lot are being told, you're responsible for getting yourself out. an extraordinary video online where one woman is telling people, you have to pack your own med kit. so stock up on sanitary napkins, because if you get shot, you can use that to staunch the bleeding. this is not positive in terms of

how that affects morale. >> and news what happens on the battlefield, enter thing meat grinder or marauding to do whatever to the civilian population. these advanced numbers russia is putting out from these sham referendums in these areas that they control, why go through the facade? it's just such a joke is not the right word, but it is a sham. why go through this game? >> it is a smoke screen for annexation, basically. so now what vladamir putin can do is when ukrainian forces hit areas in donbas or zaporizhzhia or kherson, they can say you just hit russia. and we can now respond in ourself defense with the full force that is available at our disposal. that's where you're seeing the nuclear threat that he has dangled now if a way that, you know, even if the hope is that it is a bluff, the reality is that you need to prepare for

every possible eventuality. vladamir putin is facing a lot of pressure from hard liners to get this done. he understands his political survival depends on that. >> do you think he's vulnerable? >> this is the most weakened we have seen president putin during his tenure. it's very easy to get caught up in the exuberance of these counteroffensives that the ukrainians have been so successful with, and i would not discount him yet. he is a fighter and will continue to fight. >> just even if he were throwing drunks and, you know, people who have no military experience on a battlefield, if you're throw 3g00,000 of them onto a battlefield, sit a sheer mass of people. i mean, if you don't care about who they kill or civilian populations, you don't care which cities are leveled, and

you can continue without end. >> and i think that's the point here. if i'm trying to understand what vladamir putin's objective is here, it's not so much that it will shift the reality on the battlefield now. i think what the hope is, keep it grinding. keep it going. if we can keep it going the whole way through 2023, people are going to get tired. the ukrainian economy will be obliterated, and the ukrainian people will lose heart. the europeans, who formed such a huge part of this support network, will start to feel the pain. so he's banking on the fact that russia has a higher pain threshold. >> and as you said, it's not just the calculation about ukraine not being able to sustain, it's europe starting to fracture. >> and we haven't seen that yet. and there was a lot of speculation coming into the winter. it's going to be terrible, europeans are going to be cold, inflation is soaring. so far we're seeing a robust and united europe. at the end of the day, winter is only a few months.

so that's why the calculation is, okay, we might not be able to inflict maximum pain this winter, but we need to continue it through another winter, as well. but that's flawed philosophy to go into. not a big deal, that's the reaction from iran's leader with protests. he says, similar incidents happen all around the world, in the united states and the uk. he added, this will not lead to regime change in iran. coming up, we'll have more on the situation in iran. also, a cnn exclusive interview w , we hear about his going to fight in ukraine. they join us next. ath options so we fit your style. our installers complete your work in as little as a day so we fit yourchedule.

our manufacturing team custom cfts your bath so we fit your standards, and it's guaranteed for life. when you can trust the people who create your new bath, it just fits. bath fitter. visit bathfitter.com to book your free consultation. new astepro allergy. no allergy spray is faster. with the speed of astepro, almost nothing can slow you down. because astepro starts working in 30 minutes, while other allergy sprays take hours. and astepro is the first and only 24-hour steroid free allergy spray. now without a prescription. astepro and go. only on prime video. the dolphins. the bengals. tyreek hill.

can they chase him down? joe burrow. he's in for the score! in a thursday night showdown of speed versus swagger. it's the miami dolphins. he's gonna take it to the endzone! and the afc champion bengals. thursday night football. only on prime video.

we have a cnn interview. you remember the two american veterans that went to ukraine to fight against russia and in june were captured and held. they returned home to alabama saturday after a prisoner exchange brokered by saudi arabia. we are pleased that one of them, alexander john-roberter druke joins us, and with him is one of my favorite people, his mom,

bonnie. congratulations on getting home safe. so great to see you together with your mom. how are you feeling tonight? >> thank you. i mean, i feel good. really good. obviously, everything is a little surreal still. really coming to terms with what happened but more so how much support we had back home. i'm just forever indebted to so many people. >> bunny, we've talked a couple of times. when you talked about the phone call you got when you found out just out of the blue that he was safe, what was it like when you first got to see him standing in front of you? >> well, he wasn't standing in front of me, anderson. i was watching for him, and i went to check in at the hotel thinking that they would -- the boys would come down and get off the elevator and we would see them. >> we set an ambush. >> he snuck up behind me.

so i don't remember looking at his face, but i turned around and went right into his arms. >> ahh. and alex, look, i know there are some things you can't or may not be able to register about your captivity, but can you walk us through about what happened back in june when you and andy were taken prisoner? >> we're still working through a lot of those details. andy and i probably have the best perspective, but we don't have the entire perspective. we talked with some of the guys we served with. so until i've got a full idea and we've had a chance to talk to all the government agencies that we would like to do a debrief, we're keeping that quiet for now. >> can you say if you were kept together throughout your captivity or what it was like? >> not initially. we were held -- the soldiers that captured us, we were held there overnight and taken into russia for about a week.

then immediately separated. every once in a while i would catch a glimpse of pihim, but tn we were separated. we were taken to another location where we were kept separate unless they were using us for propaganda. then we were moved to the prison, we were in the same cell, together 24/7. it was amazing to see him. i had been very, very worried about him many times to that point. so it was good to have a brother back. >> how were you treated in captivity? >> not great. >> yeah. did it improve -- often times when it's initially taken, that's when often the worst treatment is. as it filtered through whatever the system is, did it get any better? >> i say it definitely did. as we progressed, it got less and less.

all things considered, we were there at the prison, besides some issues -- it wasn't that bad. that sounds weird, but i don't know. it dit ged get et better. >> when you were initially taken, was it physical? >> yes. >> when did you learn, alex, that you would be released? >> umm, we kind of didn't. even when they finally pulled up on the little train system and pulled up to a big saudi airplane, we thought this isn't real. that's not really happening. you know, that was our first inclination we were going to be released, but they had not told us where we were going. >> alex, can you just explain what made you want to go to ukraine and do this in the first place? >> umm, i mean, i think it's pretty well out there. i've got military experience

from the u.s. army. i'm a little known for fighting, but i knew i had some knowledge and experienced that i hoped would be of value, of help to the ukrainian people. because what was happening to them was absolutely terrible. it shouldn't happen. and i think most of us realize if ukraine did fall, putin wasn't going to stop there. i wanted to do my part to stop putin. >> do you have any regrets? >> not a one. not a one. you know, i love the ukrainian people. on top of them being just brave and fierce, they are generous, they are warm, they are kind. they were just -- they were amazing. you know, i'm glad that i could help them. i'm glad that, as terrible as this event was for us, i think maybe it was a little extra kick in the pants to maybe get people in our government to do a little more as america. but i do want to stress it's not

over yet. the war is still going on in ukraine. they still need support. just because we're home doesn't mean it's time to spot. >> bunny, after our last conversation, i don't know if i should raise this, but you showed me something that you got. you mentioned that alex was a big tattoo lover. i'm wondering what his reaction was to seeing your tattoo. >> i love it. i think it's amazing. it's beautiful. and meaningful. i love it. >> were you surprised your mom got a tattoo in your honor? >> my mom got sassy in her 60s. so i wasn't all that surprised. it's not her first tattoo. it didn't blow my mind. >> alex, i've got to tell you, i think your mom has been sassy longer than in her 60s. that's just my guess. is that possible this >> you might be right.

>> i was very prim and proper when i was growing up, anderson. >> oh, okay. >> when i turned 60, i thought, well, what the heck. i don't have to innufluence my children. i can just be fun. >> yeah. well, you are incredibly fun and bunny, thank you so much. alex, i'm so glad you're back and so happy you guys are together. i wish you both the best.. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, anderson. coming up next, an insurrectionist is brought to justice as election dies are still dominating politics in key races. .. vapors. help comfort your loved ones. for chest, neck, and back. it goes onlear. no mess. just soothing comfort. try vicks vapostick. so how many vaccines have you given to people? me? about 1000. walgreens...millions. no way can i miss her big debut.

with your booster, i think you'll be there. for every twirl. i got a shot so my sister won't get sick. way to go, big bro! so while we're here... ...flu shot, as well? let's do it. when you need to talk vaccinations, our pharmacists are here. ♪ ♪ bipolar depression. it made me feel trapped in a fog. this is art inspired by real stories of bipolar depression. i just couldn't find my way out of it. the lows of bipolar depression can take you to a dark place. latuda could make a real difference in your symptoms. latuda was proven to significantly reduce bipolar depression symptoms. and in clinical studies, had no substantial impact on weight. this is where i want to be. call your doctor about sudden behavior changes or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children and young adults. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. report fever, confusion, stiff or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be life threatening or permanent. these aren't all the serious side effects. now i'm back where i belong.

ask your doctor if latuda is right for you. pay as little as zero dollars for your first prescription.

just as the january 6th announced it was postponing its hearing because of hurricane ian, we were given a reminder of the importance of their work. one of the rioters was sentenced to more than seven years. kyle young pled guilty to assaulting a police officer. this is the same baday a group senators say they have enough votes to pass a bill to make it harder to overturn an election. something that is on the ballot

in 11 states disputing the legitimacy of the 2020 election. and mark meadows communicating where a key figure to seize arizona voting ha sheens. we're joined by john brennan. i'm wondering what goes through your mind as you see these insurrectionists being brought to justice, but the election lie still a dominating force with so many in the republican party. >> yes, it's very disheartening to see so many public officials, republicans in particular, but state legislators and state government who continue to push forward the great lie about the 2020 election. but also, i think they are fuelling the fires of hate and animosity in this country. by providing this information to the american public, and that why i can understand how it's so difficult for the average

american citizen to understand the truth, because you have donald trump and others who just lobby in lies and falsehoods. that's why our democracy is facing this challenge. >> so many people pushing the election lies the loudest are making money from it in their podcasts, they're selling products, they're holding seminars, trying to work as consultants. most of them are making money off this. you wrote in your book, i fear tha -- >> that threat, do you think that continues to grow? >> absolutely. i based my career in national

security trying to thwart the efforts of the soviet union, russia, china and others to undermine our democracy by pushing falsehoods into our information environment here. now i find that the greatest threat, as i said in my paperback edition, are republican officials in woman we entrust our security and ensure the rule of law. but they seem to have forgotten what democracy is all about. i think they're pursuing these personal political, partisan, and financial agendas to the debtment of our democracy. this is where i think there needs to be a clammer and outcry against those individuals who do take advantage of the freedoms and liberties and freedom of speech that we enjoy and want to protect in this country, but use it as a way to advance their own agendas. >> as the former director of the cia, what was your reaction when the former president, the same man who revoked your security

clearance, was hoarding some of the u.s.' most classified materials in the basement of his mar-a-lago beach club. >> it was shocking but not surprising. i think donald trump demonstrated that he just flagrantly violated the norms and procedures that keep this country safe. so the fact that he very intentionally took those documents, the most highly restricted, highly sensitive national security documents that this government has and brought them into an unsecured area of mar-a-lago just then s demonstr herrer responsibility. that's where i give credit to people like liz cheney and adam kinzinger who bucked the republican party's tendencies to make excuses for donald trump. but there needs to be accountability. because all of those professionals who have made such great sacrifices over the years to keep this country safe, when they see an individual like donald trump abusing his authorities, and the rights that

he has as president of the united states, i think this is something that they want to see brought to justice. >> yeah. john brennan, i appreciate talking to you. thank you so much. >> thank you, anderson. up next, s someone i'm excid for you to meet, david thomas, a self-described brain cancer warrior and her mom casey and what they want you to know what so many kids are going through right now. and more smile to your life. (vo) at viking, we are proud to have been named the world's number one for both rivers and oceans by travel and leisure, as well as condé nast traveler. but it is now time for us to work even harder,

searching for meaningful experiences and new adventures for you to embark upon. they say when you reach the top, there's only one way to go. we say, that way is onwards. viking. exploring the world in comfort.

[ coughing/sneezing ] [ door knocking ] dude, you coming? because the only thing dripping should be your style! plop plop fizz fizz, winter warriors with alka-seltzer plus cold & flu relief.

. a few weeks ago i got a direct message on instagram from a woman named cassie thomas. i didn't know her, but she dm'd me to tell me about her 5-year-old daughter, ava, who has fighting brain cancer. it's been really tough for her and obviously on her family as well for a lot of different reasons. but one of the main ones is there just aren't enough new cancer treatments for rare forms of cancer in children, particularly brain tumors. cassie also wanted people to know the struggles, the real struggles that children and their families are having in hospital wards across this

country and around the world because of the lack of new treatments. a lot of the drugs that are being used have been in existence for decades and they were designed for adults. and so even dosing is hard to figure out on some kids. so this is national childhood cancer awareness month. i spoke to era and cassie earlier. thank you so much for joining us. i want to show a video of you after you getting a sendoff at the hospital in june after your last round of inpatient chemotherapy. i want to watch this video. [ cheers ] everybody is applauding and dancing with you. you were danced out of the hospital. >> how did you feel about that? >> great. >> i bet. what was the first thing you wanted to do when you got out of the hospital? was there some food you wanted?

something to do? >> i just wanted to go home. >> i can certainly understand that. can you just talk a little bit about what you want people to know about cancer in children, because a lot of times in commercials or online you see kids with smiling faces and, you know, beautiful, beaming eyes. you want people to know the reality of what is happening in cancer wards across the country. >> yeah. you know, i've said it in my instagram and i know you watched it. st. jude does great work with cancer. i really appreciate everything they do. however, a lot of the commercials are just showing, like, the kids, you know, talking with the doctors or doing art or smiling and they're just these happy little kids. it tugs at your heart strings a

little bit, but you kind of leave feeling, oh, okay, they're at a great hospital, they're being taken care of, they're going to, you know, do the best they can. what it doesn't show is, like, the nitty-gritty, harsh reality of childhood cancer, and that that is maybe 1% of what actually goes on when these kids are being treated by these, like, insanely outdated drugs. it wreaks havoc on their system. their system gets wiped out and, you know, seeing your child go through the things that they go through with this stuff, it kind of, like, irks me. when they show animal abuse, they show the nitty-gritty and it prompts people to get involved and it's not like that for childhood cancer and we need to be more open about the realities of it. >> and i think the other piece

of this, which you alluded to, and i want to talk about more is, i think we all -- i was ignorant on this. i thought, well, my god, childhood cancer, kids must get the most cutting-edge treatments. there must be huge research being done in, you know, how to save the most innocent among us. and the complete opposite is true because many of these childhood cancers are rare forms of cancer, rare brain tumors, and there's just not the economic incentive for pharmaceutical companies, others to do the billions of dollars worth of research it takes to develop new drugs, and a lot of the drugs that kids are getting, as you said, are 50-year-old drugs and treatments that j just -- just do havoc on their little. >> who does that were created for adults, not even children. they weren't even created for children. they just tailor the dose to

children. i think there was maybe six drugs that have been approved in the last 20 years for childhood cancer. there's been over 20, i think, for adults. it's the most underfunded. we need more. i mean, $260 million is not going to cut it. there's children dying every single day. there's children diagnosed with this every single day, and there's just nothing for them, especially for relapse. there's nothing for her if she relapses and that's a scary thought. >> yeah. >> and the fact that, you know, neptune's cool and all, but i would rather see kids be cured of cancer than nasa's big budget. >> yeah. >> just shave off some of that and give it to childhood cancer, that would be perfect. >> your mother said you're going to disney world next month with make-a-wish foundation. is there anything you're excited about?

>> i'm excited to go to thunder mountain. >> thunder mountain? wow. that's probably scary, isn't it? >> no. i went to disney world once. >> did you put your hands in the air? >> yeah. >> you didn't even hold onto the things? you just put your hands in the air? that's cool. i can't wait to see the pictures from disney world. i wish you continued strength, cassie and eva. thank you so much. >> thank you so much, anderson. >> bye, eva. >> say bye. >> bye. >> bye. making faces at the end. cassie said if you would like to donate to an organization, the e kellen ford foundation is raising money for eva's specific type of cancer. if you want to follow eva's journey, as i do, , on instagra you can go to @avastrong17.

we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ dry skin is sensitive skin, too.

and it's natural. treat it that way with aveeno® daily moisture. formulated with nourishing, prebiotic oat. it's clinically proven to moisturize dry skin for 24 hours. aveeno® new astepro allergy. now available without a prescription. astepro is the first and only 24-hour steroid free spray. while other allergy sprays take hours astepro starts working in 30 minutes. so you can... astepro and go. at booking.com,

finding perfect isn't rocket science. kitchen? sorted. hot tub, why not? and of course, puppy-friendly. we don't like to say perfect, but it's pretty perfect. booking.com, booking.yeah. at fidelity, your dedicated advisor

will help you create a comprehensive wealth plan for your full financial picture. with the right balance of risk and reward. so you can enjoy more of...this. this is the planning effect. grieving and living with loss is something we'll all face. i'm exploring it in a personal way in a new podcast called "all there is." two episodes have posted. you can point your cell phone to the qr code for a link and you can find it on apple podcasts. the third episode tomorrow posts and i'll take you back to my

mom's apartment where i've been going through her things and i'll look at the ripple effects of suicide and the people it leaves behind. my brother carter died by suicide in 1988 and i talked to dr. b.j. miller whose sister died by suicide as well. he's helped caregivers and people facing terminal illnesses. it's a powerful conversation. i hope you will listen. it is available tomorrow on all there is. news continues right now. let's hand it over to laura coates and "cnn tonight." >> anderson, thank you. i can't wait to listen to the next episode. as we i'm laura coates, and this is "cnn tonight." hurricane ian is charging toward florida's west coast, and, look, it's already felt on the tip of florida right now. the keys are beginning to experience the effects of this monstrous storm with tropical storm winds literally whipping through speeds of 40, 50 miles an hour. the center of ian will pass west of the florida keys as it barrels toward the gulf